Young Boy’s Battle with Childhood Obesity: Unmasking A Rare Case of Prader-Willi-Syndrome

Abstract

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is one of the most prevalent causes of syndromic obesity. This genetic disorder begins with hypotonia and poor feeding in the neonatal period, later evolving into hyperphagia and rapid weight gain during early childhood, frequently leading to severe obesity in adolescence and adulthood. We report a case of a 14-year-old boy presenting with morbid obesity (BMI: 47.4) and related complications. Before admission, he was not properly evaluated for obesity. Along with obesity, the presence of hypogonadism, undescended testes since childhood, learning difficulties, poor academic performance, and behavioral abnormalities, including temper tantrums and emotional outbursts, raised a strong suspicion of Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). We used the consensus criteria for the diagnosis of PWS clinically and focused on managing obesity with a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist; the patient achieved a remarkable weight loss of 25 kg over one year and marked reversal of obesity–related complications, significantly improving the patient’s overall health and quality of life.  J MEDICINE 2026; 27(2): 151-154