Hey, remember when Eminem was fat? Nah, we don’t really, either, because he always had that adorable, oddly cherubic face that contrasted so sharply with his invasive lyrics. Nope, we didn’t think Em was overweight, we just thought he was going through puberty or the like, but something far more sinister was actually at work behind the scenes: Mathers had eaten so many of his own purple pills — namely Vicodin and Valium, and unfortunately not the actual purple pill, Nexum — that he’d worn a hole in his stomach … and instead of treating the problem, he catered to the symptoms and stuffed that hole full of food.

In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Eminem opens up about his prior drug use — which was no secret — but also his battle with weight.

About the addiction, he says, “In 2007, I overdosed on pills, and I went into the hospital. I was close to 230 pounds. I’m not sure how I got so big, but I have ideas. The coating on the Vicodin and the Valium I’d been taking for years leaves a hole in your stomach, so to avoid a stomachache, I was constantly eating — and eating badly.”

He continued saying that he, like his penchant for pills, had gone overboard with the running after he’d sobered up and lost the weight … which seems to be par for the course for some when they’ve got an addict’s brain.

Eminem says, “I think I got a little carried away. I became a f–king hamster. Seventeen miles a day on a treadmill. … I started getting OCD about the calories, making sure I burned 2,000 every day. In the end I got down to about 149 pounds. I ran to the point where I started to get injured. All the constant pounding from the running began to tear up my hip flexors.”

He concluded his MH piece, saying that he eventually learned balance in his workouts, trading knee-busting running for … well, not as much knee-busting running combined with workouts like P90X, Body Beast, and weight training every single day, day in and day out, and while we’re thrilled that he’s likely not going to end up dead in a gutter, all overdosed on pharmaceuticals, we’re still kind of concerned about the permeating mania he seems to exude over everything in his life.

The drugs might not get you, friend, and it’s nothing short of inspiring how you kicked it and remained true to yourself, but watch out for that stress and high blood pressure … it’s a killer for sure.

Source: Fishwrappers