On psychogenic obesity in children. IV.

Abstract

SummaryForty obese children form the basis for a clinical investigation of the possible aetio‐logical singnifieance of psychogenesis, with particular reference to HILDE BRUCH'S theory on the aetiology of obesity. Compared with a control group of forty children of normal weight, food intake proved in quality to correspond with the characteristic carbo‐hydrate diet common to the investigated parts. However, the obese children eat considerably greater quantities than the non‐obese ones. Bodily activity was extraordinarily poor for 13 obese children. The aetiological criteria are discussed. On these criteria the material is divided into three groups: 1) seven cases of certain psycho‐genesis. Three of these were of the type described by BRUCH, 4 displayed other psychogenic patterns; 2) eleven children where psychogenesis was probable, but it could not be proved for certain; 3) a group of 22 children, where psychogenesis was not demonstrable. Taken as a whole the obesity of these children could be satisfactorily explained by the family eating‐habits, the pleasure they took in eating rich, carbohydrate food in great quantities.The results are compared to BRUCH'S. The conclusion is that adiposity in my material does not present a uniform pathological picture from a psychogenic point of view. The aetiology extends from bad family eating‐habits, by way of uncertain cases with elements of probable psychogenesis, to cases where different kinds of psychogenesis can be proved. Finally I emphasize the point of including constitutional consideration when debating the problem of aetiology.