Obesity in Childhood

Obesity in a Child

“…He states that 'fatty tissues absorb water like a sponge, without circulatory disturbances and with no evidence of oedema.' The curious phenomenon by which this retained water is held in the tissue with great tenacity during periods of undernutrition has been repeatedly commented on (Grafe, 1933;Newburgh, 1944;Evans, 1947;Greene, 1948 In the present case it was found impossible to achieve a persistent gain in weight on intakes of water which were on the average more than three times the normal consumption, and such water as was stored on these excessive intakes was very readily excreted during the periods of restriction. It seems improbable that on her usual intake this child stored water to any appreciable extent.…”

“…This patient illustrates very clearly the importance of Bruch's (1940) a search by the child for comfort which it does not find in other ways. The most striking feature of the present case was the marked change in the girl's attitude to herself and her environment.…”

“…The weight curve during the preliminary period of observation showed the usual fluctuations encountered in obese persons on a reducing diet (Newburgh, 1944;Evans, 1947) ild on admission (1A) and IALL UV MoVYI1111 U4aY, liUWriment (1B). ever, the weight showed a tendency to drop, and the urinary output increased.…”

Sudden Obesity and Psychological Trauma

“…Oral gratification " is emphasized by many authors: the individual remains emotionally immature and overeats from early childhood. Psychological investigators into obesity in childhood emphasize the factors of lack of parental love with prolonged over-protection of the child (Bruch, 1940;Bronstein et al, 1942;Gastineau and Rynearson, 1947). As Bruch points out, the child may go in for the pleasures of food if it does not get the pleasure of love from its parents.…”

“…Bruch (1940) quotes Lichtwitz (1923) as observing during and after the 1914-18 war rapidly developing obesity in women who had been under severe mental stress. Lutzenkirchen (1924) described the case of a woman of 29 who developed adiposity, diabetes insipidus, genital atrophy, and amenorrhoea after serious psychic traumata of long duration.…”