Prader-Willi Syndrome Means a Lifetime of Extra Care

If you could eat and never feel full, what would it be like? In some cases, it might feel like a bonus: Maybe you could have an extra helping of something you don't normally get at a holiday meal, for example. But what if you never feel full and you always have an enormous desire for food?

That's a dangerous problem, and it's a problem that those with Prader-Willi syndrome face every day. Their brains do not register any signal to tell them that they're full, and they work hard to get around any obstacles between them and the food they constantly crave.

Many other problems exist in Prader-Willi. The result is that those caring for these persons are on duty all the time.

• The scoop on Prader-Willi syndrome
• More rare eating disorders--night eating syndrome and pica (eating things that aren't food)