What is an almond mom? Meaning explained in wake of Yolanda Hadid's viral video

'Almond mom' is a hot topic following Yolanda Hadid's TikTok video in response to clips lambasting her parenting. Hadid's video, posted on September 30, was made as a reaction to various TikTok videos which compiled clips from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH) as evidence of her toxic behavior towards her daughters.

One clip that made the rounds in July was an exchange between Hadid and daughter Gigi Hadid during a 2013 episode. Over the phone, the teen supermodel, then on a diet, told her mother that she was "really weak" and "had like, an almond."

Hadid replied,

"Have a couple of almonds. Chew them really well."

The video shows Hadid eating a bowl of almonds in various settings. Hadid wrote in the caption,

“Worstmomever #almonds.”

The concept of an almond mom is not new, and is certainly not limited to stage moms. Any parent who enforces rigid dietary regulations, promotes a culture of shame and guilt around eating, and holds appearing skinny above all else, falls under the category of an almond mom.

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The almond mom's impact on food habits

Among the conversations surrounding the severe repercussions of diet culture, many are opening up about growing up with an almond mom. Offhand comments about the nature of children's appearance may result in harmful practices by children, and even develop into eating disorders.

What sets apart an almond mom is the fact that looking skinny is prioritized over any other accolade. The universal experience seems to be an unhealthy relation with food, history of eating disorders, and guilt associated with consuming any item considered 'junk.'

Hadid's Instagram is filled with photos of her children. In a recent post, she wrote in the caption:

"...Making mistakes yet always striving to be the best mother to these amazing souls that came through me..."

In several cases, the parent is not aware of the consequences of policing food, and seems to believe that it is done from a desire to keep kids healthy. The root of the issue is not the 'almonds' or the food that is consumed, but rather the reason driving the extreme consumption patterns. A skinny appearance is seen as the highest achievement.

While body positivity and body neutrality are gaining ground on social media, the almond mom mentality is yet to go away.

Several Reddit threads, TikTok, and YouTube compilations have been made on Hadid policing her daughter's eating habits on RHOBH. Instances of Hadid commenting on Gigi "eating like a man" and bringing up her diet on Gigi's birthday have been highlighted as evidence of unhealthy parenting.

Prior to this, Hadid had also received backlash for pushing rhinoplasty on her teenage daughters.

A day before posting the viral video, Hadid uploaded a quote on Instagram stating,

"Live to be approved by God, not the world."

She captioned the photo,

"So please don't believe everything you read on social media."

The RHOBH star received mixed reactions to the video. Comments calling her out for promoting unhealthy eating habits were abundant, but netizens also lauded her for the clapback.

Following the video, discussions have turned to the fact that it is the responsibility of parents to instill healthy attitudes in their children, particularly when it comes to food.