Experts Warn Almond Dads Can Shape Children's Body Image

Fathers who frequently comment on their children's weight, emphasize physical appearance, or promote rigid eating habits can influence how young people view their bodies and food. The pattern, known online as an almond dad, has gained attention after a woman's account of her father's blunt remarks about her size resonated with hundreds of thousands of social media users.

Jayla Flowers, 30, shared her experience in a TikTok video in September that attracted more than 500,000 views and 100,000 likes. She described a father who openly criticized her eating choices and appearance, including warning her not to gain weight and suggesting runs when her cheerleading uniform appeared tight.

Flowers said she now approaches those memories with humor and did not believe the experience left her with body-image issues. However, her story prompted other women to recognize similar behavior in their own fathers.

Unlike the familiar almond mom stereotype, which often centers on restrictive eating and thinness, an almond dad may present similar attitudes through messages about fitness, discipline, and physical strength.

Flowers described the difference in communication style when discussing her childhood experience.

"An almond dad is a lot more straightforward or matter-of-fact about what he's observing," Flowers said.

She also explained how humor shapes her perspective on those memories.

"I approach it with humor," Flowers told PopSugar.

Janet Leydecker, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine who specializes in eating disorders and weight stigma, said fathers can reinforce diet-culture beliefs without using the same language associated with mothers.

Rather than focusing on smaller clothing sizes or minimal food portions, fathers may emphasize exercise, protein intake, and a lean or muscular physique. Comments may sound encouraging while still teaching children that their bodies need constant improvement.

Examples include linking dessert to exercise, praising children for appearing physically defined, or treating carbohydrates as something to avoid. Children may also absorb these attitudes by watching a parent obsess over nutrition labels, criticize himself for missing a workout, or classify foods as acceptable or unacceptable.

These behaviors do not necessarily reflect deliberate attempts to harm a child. Leydecker said many parents believe they are encouraging healthy habits, while some repeat attitudes they learned through their own experiences with diet culture.

Linda Hamilton, PhD, a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders, body image, and occupational stress in performers, said cultural expectations help explain why fathers receive less attention in discussions about parenting and food-related pressures.

"Culture plays a big role," Hamilton said.

She explained that public scrutiny of parenting has historically focused more heavily on mothers, while fathers have often been treated as secondary caregivers. Discussions about diet culture have also concentrated on girls and women, leaving less room to examine how fathers transmit similar pressures.

Hamilton described the traditional imbalance in how society evaluates parents.

"Moms are under a microscope for everything that happens in the household in terms of raising kids. And fathers are considered secondary caretakers. So they're not given the same weight as a mother," Hamilton said.

Experts caution that even well-intentioned comments can affect children's long-term relationship with food and their appearance. Repeated criticism, weight-focused praise, and restrictive food rules may contribute to anxiety around eating and increase the risk of disordered eating.

Hamilton emphasized that parents need to recognize how comments about weight can shape a child's self-perception.

"The long-term issues are profound," Hamilton said.

She explained that body-image concerns can develop during adolescence and persist into adulthood, particularly when food restriction and anxiety become part of everyday life.

"Body image is formed during adolescence and you can carry a negative body image your entire life. It's more likely to lead to disordered eating when you start restricting and having anxiety about food," Hamilton said.

Education is an important starting point, Hamilton said. Parents can reconsider how frequently they comment on appearance and avoid suggesting that losing weight automatically represents an achievement.

"Education is important," Hamilton said.

Parents can also encourage a more flexible approach to eating by avoiding moral judgments about food and recognizing that balanced eating can include nutritious meals and favorite snacks without guilt. Exercise can similarly be presented as an opportunity to enjoy movement, develop strength, and feel good rather than as a way to change appearance.

Flowers said the way her father communicated made a difference in how she experienced his comments. She recalled that his approach did not undermine her self-esteem or damage their relationship, partly because he showed care rather than deliberately criticizing her in humiliating situations.

She identified the circumstances surrounding those conversations as particularly important.

"Time, place, and tone made a huge difference for me growing up," Flowers said.

Flowers said her father did not make embarrassing remarks in front of extended family or draw attention to her body during vulnerable moments. She cautioned that a celebration or meal may be an especially inappropriate time to raise concerns about a child's weight.

"If you're enjoying your birthday cake, that's probably not the time to tell your child that they're gaining weight," Flowers said.