title: How Food as a Reward Is Detrimental to Children's Health, Learning, and Behavior.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite small- and wide-scale prevention efforts to curb obesity, the percentage of children classified as overweight and obese has remained relatively consistent in the last decade. As school personnel are increasingly pressured to enhance student performance, many educators use food as a reward to motivate and reinforce positive behavior and high achievement. Yet, many educators have missed the link between student health and academic achievement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on a review of the literature, this article explores the link between childhood obesity and adverse mental and physical health, learning, and behavior outcomes. The role in providing children with food as a reward in the relationship between obesity and detrimental health and performance outcomes are examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of food as a reward is pervasive in school classrooms. Although there is a paucity of research in this area, the few studies published in this area show detrimental outcomes for children in the areas of physical health, learning, and behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is imperative that educators understand the adverse outcomes associated with using food as a reward for good behavior and achievement. This study provides alternatives to using food as a reward and outlines future directions for research.
authors.affiliation: Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky, 236 Dickey Hall, Lexington, KY 40506. alicia.fedewa@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Alicia L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fedewa
authors.forename: Matthew Cody
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D000067576:Child Health; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009043:Motor Activity; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D012201:Reward; D012572:School Health Services; D014040:Token Economy
keywords: children; classroom, behavior; food; obesity; reward