WATCH: LA Schools urges students to 'eat without guilt,' promotes 'food neutrality'

On Friday, the Instagram account for the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Human Relations, Diversity, and Equity office shared a video going after those who suggest that some foods are inherently better or worse than others.

The promotional video features a feminist, a nutritionist, and a self-described “fatty” urging students to embrace “food neutrality” and “eat without guilt.”



The video was created by black, bisexual, muslim influencer Blair Imani as part of her series “Smarter In Seconds,” which provides woke advice on a variety of topics, in collaboration with Dr. Kera Nyemb-Diop, who goes by “the Black Nutritionist” online. 

Irmani previously taught students how to best use pronouns, and urged them to look at the "gorgeous boudoir photos" of her pronoun policing biologically male colleague.

Imani begins by offering donuts to herself via the power of Instagram effects. “Those are so bad for you,” her doppelganger replies.

“Oh no, are they moldy?” Imani replies, sarcastically. “I mean, are they poisoned? Are you allergic?”

She then accuses herself of “judging my food choices based on a false standard of health,” to which she responds, “Guilty.”

Next, Nyemb-Diop makes her first appearance, offering advice to back up Imani’s claims.

“Diet culture, fatphobia, and systems of oppression,” she says, “have created false hierarchies of food, and it shows up everywhere.”

Imani jumps in to highlight a number of “harmful thought patterns,” such as “earning food through exercising,” and the idea that dessert is a “reward” for eating a proper meal.

“We are all incorrectly taught from a young age that our size, and therefore the foods that we eat, are markers of our self-worth,” adds non-binary model Maya Finoh, who also goes by “SavageXFatty.”

She went on to argue that “moralizing food” can lead to an unhealthy relationship with what we consume, as well as eating disorders.

To solve the problem, Nyemb-Diop suggests people should “try to approach food with neutrality in mind” instead of focusing on “good and bad choices.”

According to Finoh, there are some “bad” foods, but only those that are those that contain allergens, poisons, and contaminants, as well as those that are spoiled or otherwise inedible.

Nyemb-Diop concludes by urging people to “eat without guilt, regardless of what society says.”

Following a barrage of negative comments on Instagram, Imani restricted the types of replies that were allowed, essentially barring criticism. The following day, however, it was shared to Twitter by the LA Parents Union, an advocacy group focused on issues within the LAUSD.

There, users ripped into the flawed ideology expressed in the video, pointing out that some foods are just objectively better than others. The fact that it was shared by an official school district account was also a major cause of concern, given the possibility of such ideas making their way into the minds of educators, and eventually students.

Obesity is a major issue in the United States, with nearly 20 percent of those 2-19 years of age classified as obese. According to the CDC, the groups at the highest risk are Hispanic and black youth. 

Many organizations have realized the threat obesity poses on minorities, and have worked tirelessly to improve food quality in those communities, in direct opposition to the ideas pushed by Imani and Nyemb-Diop. Former First Lady Michelle Obama launched an anti-obesity initiative to help kids get and stay healthy.

The CDC also provides resources regarding what the ideal meal should look like, and nowhere does it suggest that donuts and vegetables are in any way comparable.

Their healthy eating plan urges people to emphasize fruits, vegetables, and protein, while minimizing added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.