[lucyjoy]

This child would have eaten the pancake, but had to eat the chili first. She's not starving herself, just not eating all that much at a time.

If this child has seen a doctor that feels this is appropriate then so be it. I have 2 kids who would starve to death before giving in to this type of tactic. And quite frankly, this never would have worked for me either.

I see nothing healthy in making the dinner table a battlefield or having a young child sit for hours. To me, that's no different then putting a 3 year old in time out for 3 hours straight.

If the child is losing wieght, a doctor should be consulted for advice. If the child is not losing wieght then let her eat when she's hungry. Serve meals and snacks at times that work and let the child choose to eat or not eat. Force feeding is almost never a good idea.