Prader-Willi syndrome is a genetic illness associated with a defect on chromosome 15. It presents with hypotonicity in infancy followed by voracious appetite and gross obesity from early childhood and with a range of other clinical and behavioural sequelae. This case report is of an adolescent boy who was admitted to a psychiatric unit for an intensive behavioural programme to control his weight gain and deal with associated behavioural problems, and demonstrates that an inpatient programme can lead to sustainable improvements in weight control and other indicators of well-being in PWS patients.
