What Does Using Food as a Punishment Teach?

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents never to use food to reward or punish their children, because doing so gives kids the wrong messages about food and eating. When parents or caregivers do this, they may encourage the development of several unhealthy habits that may continue to affect the child years later.

  1. Unhealthy Food Choices

    • Withholding food from children does not teach them how to make educated choices about eating healthy food. Rather, it shows kids that the type of food they are given to eat -- or not given to eat -- is associated with behavior and not proper nutrition. A child needs to know that certain foods, such as cake, ice cream and other sweet treats, should be avoided because they are unhealthy, not because she doesn̵7;t deserve them. Forcing children to clean their plates as punishment also encourages poor eating habits, such as overeating.

    Fear

    • When parents punish a child by withholding food -- such as sending her to bed without dinner -- it can cause the child to become fearful and anxious. The child might worry about when she will be able to eat again, and she may become scared that she will go hungry. This kind of anxiety can teach children to eat when they̵7;re not hungry or to eat unhealthy foods simply because they are available. As a result, the child may develop poor eating habits.

    Negative Associations

    • According to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, withholding food based on performance or behavior teaches children to ̶0;connect food to mood." This can have several negative outcomes. If a child is forced to finish a healthy meal, he may begin to associate the bad feelings about his punishment with the meal and choose not to eat such foods again in the future. Similarly, a child who is punished by being forbidden to eat the family meal might try to eat something unhealthy instead, such as a stashed candy bar or a bag of chips. He may begin to associate his sense of comfort with the unhealthy food and crave it in the future when he feels down.

    Binge Eating

    • When parents withhold the occasional dessert or treat from a child, it makes that food more desirable. This could lead to binging when it finally becomes available to him. Binging on sweets and junk food, which should be consumed in moderation, can lead to obesity and other health problems. If parents routinely punish children by not allowing them to eat something, kids may overindulge at another time, which can also lead to obesity.

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