Dissecting the viral trend of 'Almond Moms' on TikTok
What's the story
People on TikTok are talking about "Almond Moms" to criticize how some parents push strict eating habits onto their children. As Y2K fashion and skinny body ideals continue to resurface, TikTok users are using this trend to show how such restrictive diets can be harmful to one's body. Let's take a deeper look into this viral trend and what it represents.
Viral
The trend has sparked several humorous yet thought-provoking videos
TikTok's "Almond Moms" trend has led to some funny yet powerful videos. One creator imitated a mother saying, "Oh you want something sweet? How about a grape?" In another video, an influencer Alex Light joked about how a mom at the supermarket had gained weight. She is seen saying, "I just saw Danielle's mum at the supermarket, she's put on so much weight."
Origin
The term came from a 2013 reality show episode
The term originated from a 2013 episode of the reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, featuring Yolanda Hadid and her then-teenage daughter, Gigi Hadid. In the episode, Gigi, who is now a model, tells her mother that she is feeling weak after eating only "half an almond." Her mother, Yolanda suggests she eat "a couple of almonds and chew them really well."
Interview
It's such a silly narrative that is out there: Yolanda
Yolanda Hadid spoke out about it to People. "Gigi was calling because she wasn't feeling good and I apparently said, half asleep, 'Have two almonds,'" she explained. She said, "I don't even remember why two. There was no rhyme or reason to it. It's such a silly narrative that is out there, that has nothing to do with the reality of our lives."
Gwyneth Paltrow
Recently Gwyneth Paltrow was labeled 'mother of all almond moms'
Recently, Gwyneth Paltrow came under fire for promoting unhealthy eating habits in the guise of wellness and detox. She was labeled "the mother of all almond moms" by her critics, thereafter. She revealed on a podcast that her strict diet includes bone broth, soups, and intermittent fasting. Her extreme habits were immediately and widely criticized as dangerous and unsustainable almost leading to public outrage.
Harmful effects
Why the restrictive 'almond mom' parenting is harmful to children
Pushing restrictive eating habits on kids can be detrimental to their health. Not getting enough essential nutrients can lead to deficiencies in minerals and vitamins, causing a loss of bone and muscle strength. This style of parenting gives a lot of attention to physical appearance than to health and diet, which can lead to body shaming and comparisons between children and even families.