Richardson describes a woman of forty-seven who grew up in an atmosphere of severe material deprivation in which affection was also withheld. She consequently remained orally fixated. Eating relieved her anxiety and took the place of affection which in all its aspects was confused with the reception of food. She was unable to make an identification with either parent which could lead to an affectionate relationship with either sex. Taboo, ignorance and fear of sex promoted the oral regession. Her obesity served her masochistic self-depreciation and acted as a barrier against men and marriage. In this patient the ingestion of food also had the unconscious meaning of impregnation and the abdominal fat that of a child in the womb.