A padlocked fridge, no supermarket trips and even dog food has to be hidden: The heartbreaking condition that is driving 14-year-old Hannah to 'eat herself to death'

  • Hannah Wilkinson, 14, suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome
  • She weighs 343lb despite consuming only 1,000 calories a day
  • The condition affects her hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls hunger
  • Hannah never feels full and is constantly starving
  • Her mother Tonya Wilkinson must lock the fridge and pantry at all times and even hide the dog food
  • Tonya Wilkinson's insurance company will not cover her daughter for treatment at a Pittsburgh children's facility
  • Hannah is in serious danger because of her weight 

Published: 10:45 EST, 30 August 2014 | Updated: 20:34 EST, 30 August 2014

Hannah Wilkinson is 14 years old and weighs 343 pounds - and she's starving.

The Arizona girl was born with a condition called Prader-Willi syndrome, a brain disorder that means Hannah is constantly hungry and never feels full.

As a result, she requires constant supervision. If Hannah was left to her own devices, her mother Tonya Wilkinson says, 'she would eat herself to death.'

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Insatiable: Hannah Wilkinson (left) and her mother Tonya (right) plan their days around Hannah's meals

Insatiable: Hannah Wilkinson (left) and her mother Tonya (right) plan their days around Hannah's meals

Disorder: Hannah suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, which means that the part of her brain that controls hunger doesn't work - and Hannah constantly feels hungry 

Disorder: Hannah suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, which means that the part of her brain that controls hunger doesn't work - and Hannah constantly feels hungry 

Prader-Willi affects the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls hunger as well as sleep, motor functions and hormones. The condition is caused by a defect in the 15th chromosome, which means that the hypothalamus simply doesn't work.

Not only does Hannah never feel full, the syndrome means she also has a dramatically slower metabolism than normal girls.

On a strict diet of just 900 calories a day (the average teen girl needs between 1,800 and 2,200), Hannah is gaining weight.

So instatiable is her appetite that during the times she is not eating, she is completely consumed by her hunger and when her next meal will be.

The Wilkinson family's lives are ruled by Hannah's hunger.

Single mother Tonya Wilkinson keeps the fridge and pantry padlocked at all times and there is no food in the cupboards where Hannah could get it. Even the dog food must be locked away.

'I have caught her with the dog food. Eating dog food,' Tonya Wilkinson told ABC's 20/20.

Tonya doesn't keep a close eye on her in the supermarket, Hannah will steal food from the shelves and eat it in the bathroom.

The soundtrack to Hannah's mom's life is the constant refrain from her daughter: 'I'm hungry.'

Growing up hungry: Hannah was born with the disorder, which also affects her cognitive ability and behavior

A typical day, Tonya Wilkinson told 20/20, begins around 6am.

Hannah will wake up hungry and wake her mother to ask for breakfast.

Tonya tries to prolong giving it to her as long as possible to minimize the stressful time between the next meal, but eventually will give her a low-calorie breakfast such as one cup of cereal or low-fat yoghurt with fruit, then lock the pantry and padlock the fridge.

As soon as this meal is finished, Hannah will ask when she can have a snack - usualy 10 grapes or some crackers.

'I know I will hear “How much longer till snack,” “What will I get for snack today,” and “What are we having for dinner?” frequently for the rest of the morning,' Tonya told 20/20.

After her snack, Hannah will cry in desperation as her hunger remains unassuaged and she knows her next meal is hours away.

A very-low calories lunch follows. On a school day, Hannah must bring her food from home because she's not allowed to eat anything from the cafeteria.

The Wilkinson family sits down to a low-calorie dinner together eat night - usually grilled chicken and salad with water for a drink.

Dangerous: People suffering Prader-Willi syndrome are in danger of literally eating themselves to death, and experience serious health problems related to obesity

Dangerous: People suffering Prader-Willi syndrome are in danger of literally eating themselves to death, and experience serious health problems related to obesity

Restricted calories: Despite only consuming half the calories per day of a normal teenage girl and exercising, Hannah is still gaining weight because the syndrome also affects metabolism

Restricted calories: Despite only consuming half the calories per day of a normal teenage girl and exercising, Hannah is still gaining weight because the syndrome also affects metabolism

Afterwards, Tonya gets Hannah moving, with a long bike-ride, a personal training session or swimming.

She must help her teenage daughter bathe because her weight means she has skin disorders and she finds it difficult to wash and dry herself.

All the while, Hannah will be asking, 'Can I have some more food?'

Prader-Willi affects one in about 15,000 people, according to the Prader-Willi Association.

People suffering from the syndrome also display other characteristics, including cognitive disabilities, behavioral problems and low muscle tone.

They are also at increased risk of choking from trying to cram food into their mouths too quickly.

Tonya says Hannah once choked after sneaking into the kitchen while she was cleaning up after dinner and stuffing a large piece of pot-roast in her mouth.

Hannah's mom says that the Children's Institute in Pittsburgh treats children with Prader-Willi syndrome and could give Hannah the help she desperately needs, but the family's insurace company refuses to cover it.

Doctors who have evaluated Hannah say she is in grave danger if she does not receive treatment.

'The problem still to this day is that people consider obesity for whatever reason, a behavior. They consider it to be your own fault. They consider it to be a matter of gluttony and sloth. Nothing could be further from the truth,' pediatric endocrinologist at the Unversity of California Dr Robert Lustig told 20/20.

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