Understand the Conditions
What conditions cause a
different kind of obesity?
What makes these conditions similar?
Certain rare genetic conditions that cause obesity may have a variety of symptoms.
However, there are 2 key symptoms they all share:
Constant, hard-to-control hungerThere may be overwhelming feelings of hunger—a deep hunger that can make it difficult to think about anything else—no matter the time of day, even right after meals.
Weight gain early in lifeChildren may gain far more weight than would be expected for their age. This is called early-onset obesity.
What makes these conditions different?
In addition to hyperphagia and weight gain early in life, many rare genetic conditions that cause obesity have their own unique signs and symptoms. Talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
- Constant, hard-to-control hunger
- Early-onset obesity
- Visual impairment with age
- Born with extra fingers or toes
- Kidney problems
- Genital or hormonal problems
- Learning disabilities
POMC and PCSK1 deficiencies
- Constant, hard-to-control hunger
- Early-onset obesity
- Hormone level differences
- Red hair and light skin pigmentation
- Delayed puberty
LEPR deficiency
- Constant, hard-to-control hunger
- Early-onset obesity
- Delayed puberty
- Type 2 diabetes
Other genetic diseases
- Constant, hard-to-control hunger
- Early-onset obesity
- High levels of leptin (a hormone)
- High levels of insulin
- Short stature