Matthew Hummel, 20, has Prader-Willi Syndrome, and they're talking jailtime because of it.

Mathew Hummel, 20, has a genetic disorder that was first diagnosed at age 3, and now has him so voraciously hungry that he will do almost anything to satisfy his need for food. He has Prader-Willi Syndrome.

In his own Michigan home, his parents have padlocked the refrigerator and cupboards, and have an alarm system on the windows and doors.

So needy to satisfy his constant extreme craving for food, a major symptom of PWS, Matthew's disorder has forced him to forage outside the house and it has caused the young man to break into neighbors' homes to search for food. Officials are now considering jailtime for him.

Hummel suffers from other PWS symptoms as well: a 40 IQ, incomplete sexual development, mild autism and OCD.

Prader-Willi Syndrome was first described by a group of Swiss doctors in 1956. The genetic defect of PWS is based on Chromosome 15, inherited from the father, and the syndrome displays characteristics of low muscle tone (hypotonia), sex glands producing little or no hormones (hypogonadism), the extreme and compulsive need to eat and obsession with food (hyperphagia), cognitive impairment, difficult behaviors, and obesity. It affects both sexes.

PWS is identified in about one in 25,000 births, but the American Academy of Family Physicians (ACFP) believes that this is an underestimate because many children remain undiagnosed at an early age. The AAFP believes its closer to 1 in 10,000 to one in 15,000.

PWS children have the double whammy of overeating and being physically inactive because of their hypotonia, and the result is devastating: morbid amounts of weight are gained. Hyperphagia usually occurs before the age of 6.

SSRIs have been used to control the bad behaviors associated with the disorder, and these drugs have proven effective.

Genetic testing is the foolproof way to diagnose PWS.

Diet and exercise are key components of keeping a PWS child healthy. Academic modifications, behavior modification, speech and oral-motor skills are also beneficial, depending on the severity of the disease.

There are numerous complications with PWS, such as diabetes and heart problems, but the biggest problems are those associated with the foraging and morbid obesity. Few PWS children and adults can live independently without supervision, but those under strict dietary and exercise supervision can have a normal life expectancy.

John Hudon Symon of Ontario, Canada also had PWS. He was a young man who could not control his eating and would think about food all the time. His cognitive functions were not severely impaired. He would horde, hide and sneak food all the time. He said it felt like "piranhas tearing through my stomach," his extreme cravings would be so intense. He finally wrote a letter to his government pleading with them for help and support. He died shortly after writing the letter.

PWS is a ruinous genetic disorder. William Hummel is a young man with an IQ of 40. Jail is no place for him.

Read more about PWS and other childhood disorders in Alphabet Kids,: A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals.