For individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, weight management is the most difficult part of managing their disorder. Not only do individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome lack the ability to feel full, they also gain weight more easily and lose it more difficultly than those who do not have Prader-Willi syndrome. Early weight management is needed, with a low-calorie diet and frequent, regular exercise. Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome are driven to seek food, and are often quite effective at finding food, or enlisting the help of others to obtain food. Behavioral therapy can be helpful in managing food-seeking behaviors, but occasionally, more serious measures are needed, such as keeping food inaccessible during non-meal times.
Growth hormone is now widely recognized as an important component in treating Prader-Willi syndrome, beginning in infancy. Not only does growth hormone treatment help increase lean muscle mass, decrease fat mass and help increase height and mobility, there is now evidence that it may also be helpful in improving cognitive skills and possibly decreasing the severity of some types of undesirable behavior.
Hormone support for individuals with delayed or absent puberty can help support the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Although most individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome are infertile, this is not always the case.
Behavioral issues are best managed with behavioral therapy, and tend to emphasize firm limit-setting. Sometimes medication may be prescribed in combination with behavioral therapy, depending on the specific issues present.
