Stallone's bulimia disclosure prompts expert warning on eating disorders in men

RightSylvester Stallone, the 80-year-old Academy Award-nominated actor, told The New York Times that he developed an "obsession" with his eating habits while preparing for the 1982 film "Rambo". 1 2 RightStallone said he wanted to look more "animalistic", drawing inspiration from jaguars and cats, and that "it got to the point where I became bulimic". 1 2 RightDays later, Fox News Digital spoke to Brian Pollack, a licensed clinical social worker and certified eating disorders specialist at Hilltop Behavioral Health in Summit, New Jersey, who treats men with eating disorders and calls them "highly underreported". Pollack has not treated Stallone. 1 2

RightThe coverage cites the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD): about 30 million Americans experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, and roughly one-third are male. It defines bulimia nervosa, citing the National Institute of Mental Health, as binge eating followed by purging behaviours such as vomiting, laxative or diuretic misuse, fasting or excessive exercise. 1 2 RightPollack said the pressure is driven by an "extreme need for perfection and musculature", particularly among adolescent boys absorbing ideals of masculinity, and by "looksmaxxing", a trend in which boys harm themselves pursuing an ideal appearance, including cosmetic procedures to alter their jawlines. The articles add that the rise may also reflect a desire to emulate celebrities. No data on the size of the increase are given. 1 2 RightPollack said men's presentation differs: some keep building muscle for fear of being weak, others want to be extremely lean and barely eat. He said bulimia is "about control", that masculine expectations make it harder to express distress, and that men often lack the vocabulary to discuss it. 1 2

RightWarning signs he listed include secret binge-purge behaviour, such as hiding in the bathroom within 45 minutes after meals. Others are rising purchases of supplements like creatine or substances like human growth hormone, hours of daily exercise, rigid diets (keto, excess protein, only "clean" foods), "cheat day" binges and escalating laxative or diuretic use. 1 2 RightPollack described health risks including electrolyte imbalances, kidney and liver damage, tooth enamel erosion, acid reflux and GERD, and said he has seen patients go into cardiac arrest after malnutrition and repeated purging damaged their hearts. He said, "This is real, and men are afraid to talk about it." 1 2