Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the leading genetic cause of life-threatening obesity. This rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder affects multiple systems of the body but one of the cruelest symptoms is insatiable hunger which can start in children as young as 2 years of age. At the moment, there is no cure, and the onset of this hunger and food preoccupation are inevitable. Children and adults with PWS feel like they are starving all the time, even if they have just eaten. Furthermore, PWS brain is hypersensitive to sugar. An MRI study showed that PWS brain responds to sugar as an addict’s brain responds to cocaine. For these reasons, imagery, songs, and re-enactments involving food, especially highly palatable foods (cake, ice cream, candy) can be highly distressing to PWS individuals.

Many young children with PWS enjoy YouTube’s program “Songs for Littles” and benefit greatly from the diverse content and personalities in the show. However, the show, like many others, also contains songs, images, and pretend play about unhealthy foods including cakes, candy, and ice cream. This content is not necessary and potentially harmful not only to children with PWS but also to neurotypical children because it normalizes and glorifies high-fat and high-sugar foods overconsumption of which is strongly linked to the current obesity epidemic. Furthermore, food images are stressful to PWS children to the point that they can no longer watch the show. Imagine taunting a starving individual with cake and ice cream… Imagine showing images of people sniffing lines of cocaine to a recovering addict…Imagine what would happen to kids with severe peanut allergies if the media constantly talked about how awesome peanut butter sandwiches are. This petition respectfully asks the producers of the show Songs for Littles to reduce the use of food, especially unhealthy sweets in the program for the health and well-being of children with PWS and all the children watching the program.