An increasingly popular method of dealing with the chronic national health problem of obesity has been total starvation under controlled conditions. Reports of this method have been virtually limited to adults. The only studies of children we have been able to find deal exclusively with metabolic aspects of starvation (Garces et al. 1968, Spahn et al. 1967). The availability of a group of young adolescents who undertook two weeks of starvation for control of obesity prompted us to make some observations and examinations with respect to the psychological aspects of this experience. Data collected at the time of the fast, and eight to 24 months post fast are presented here with the intention of sharing our experience in this relatively little-tried treatment of adolescents with others who might be considering a similar approach. In the summer of 1967 a research project was initiated at the Endocrine Clinic of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for the study of the treatment of obesity through total starvation. The plan was to admit a child to hospital for four weeks for a fast which consisted of 1000 calories daily, the first and fourth weeks, and total starvation, the second and third weeks. A principle rationale underlying this treatment was that these chronically obese boys and girls, whose weight was thus reduced, would have direct evidence that weight