One of the syndromes that fascinated me most in medical school was Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic disorder with many clinical features, but one that stands out vividly is insatiable hunger.
In PWS, the body’s hunger regulator is broken. No matter how much the person eats, they never feel satisfied. The brain fails to send the signal that says, “You’ve had enough.” It becomes an endless cycle of eating and wanting more, a physiological loop with no closure.
I remember my mum often telling me growing up, “Too much of everything is bad.” At the time, it sounded like one of those parental cautions that African parents dish out effortlessly. But the older I get, the more I see its depth, even in medicine and life itself.
Hunger, in its right measure, is essential. It drives growth, ambition, and survival. But when it becomes perpetual, when desire no longer meets satisfaction, it ceases to nourish and starts to consume. Whether it is hunger for food, success, approval, or love, without a regulator it can spiral into something destructive.
As Proverbs 25:16 wisely puts it:
“If you find honey, eat just enough; too much of it, and you will vomit.”
Even good things become harmful without balance. Hunger fuels life, but wisdom teaches us when to be full.
What does “healthy hunger” mean to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Have a great weekend.
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1 thought on “Prader-Willi Syndrome”
This blessed me. Thank you for sharing Dr.