'Teen Mom OG': Maci Bookout says she never told Bentley to shed weight after backlash over his 'strict diet'
On Tuesday night's episode of 'Teen Mom OG', Maci Bookout helped her 11-year-old son Bentley sign up for private wrestling lessons. This was after she realized her son was serious about wresting and eager to make it to regionals. However, fans and viewers are unhappy with Maci taking her son's interests too seriously and going too far with it. This includes enforcing a "strict diet" that will help him to make it to the regionals.
According to Bentley, he is trying to eat 1000 calories per day. In one scene in the episode, he tells Maci that he wants grilled chicken for dinner to which she tells him off asking whether he has lost his mind. "He weighs like 74-75 pounds so he's on a very strict, good, healthy calorie diet," Maci explains in the episode. "Lots of water and workouts to actually cut out weight."
After the episode, fans stormed her Instagram page to school her on pushing Bentley to cut weight. "An 11-year-old child shouldn't have to cut weight," wrote a viewer. "U treat Bentley like a robot. It's very sad. Ryan is right, it's not high school. I'm actually sad for him," wrote another. Another comment read, "Making an 11-year-old cut weight is insane. This is wrong on so many levels! Way to go mom".
Another concerned person said: "Maci this is really unhealthy what you're doing to keep Bentley in his weight class! A thousand calories per day is about a third of what an active 11-year-old boy would need just to stay alive! He is going to have stunted growth, broken bones, and osteoporosis later in life. Wait until he is older (18+) to have him starve himself over a stupid sport. Plus he is already way too thin. This is messed up. #badparenting2h1."
This led to Maci finally breaking her silence on Twitter, on the matter and clarify that things were not like they were portrayed on the show. "In reference to tonight's episode-I have never and will never convince Bentley to 'cut' weight. After wrestling his first 2 tournaments in the 75lb class weighing in at 72-he came to me & said he wanted to wrestle at 70. I told him that's fine, but you WILL NOT 'cut' weight".
Maci followed the above tweet with, "I will lay out a healthy scheduled diet for u, u can eat salads, grilled chicken, veggies, good carbs-instead of pizza, Doritos & candy bars. Through the season, he decided he didn't like it-I told him that's okay! U can go back to usual and wrestle at 75 which is what he did."
Even though Maci personally isn't an expert on diet and nutrition, she replied to one of the positive fan comments with, "My brother was a collegiate wrestler so I grew up around the sport and have a bit of knowledge in the sport and healthy weight maintenance."
'Teen Mom OG' airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on MTV.