Photo courtesy of the National Enquirer
Eminem suffered a health scare over the holidays and was hospitalized for complications from pneumonia along with heart problems that may have been related. He was reported to have gained a lot of weight and to now be over 200 pounds. According to The Enquirer, he’s just 5’7″, so that would make him borderline obese.

Eminem has dealt with many personal problems over the past two years including the breakup of his re-marriage to Kim Mathers and the death of his best friend, rapper Proof. His mother was also diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and although he reconciled with her in 2006 she has since cashed in on their relationship with a tell-all book alleging that his rags to riches story was largely fabricated and that their family never lived in a trailer, as was shown in his biographical movie, 8 Mile. In the book, “My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem” Eminem’s mom also claims that he has bipolar disorder and that he was too wasted to remember re-marrying Kim.

When the news came out that Eminem had gained a lot of weight I looked hard for a new picture of him, but I couldn’t find any photos after a December, 2006 appearance on TRL with 50 Cent.

The National Enquirer has a photo of Eminem along with the sordid details of his eating habits, and I feel kind of sorry for the guy. I’m also a stress eater and I really have to keep myself busy and exercise so that I don’t pig out on carbs. Bread and cookies are what gets me. Eminem has fallen prey to the ever-present fast food and chain eateries:

“He’s got a double chin, a pot-belly and droopy man-breasts. And he’s living a reclusive lifestyle in an attempt to hide his new body,” says the insider.

Eminem’s maternal grandmother Better Kresin told The Enquirer she blames his ongoing food binge on being stressed out about his two failed marriages to ex-wife Kim.

“He really wanted it to work between them, to have a happy family life for their daughter Hailie Jade, something he claims he never had while growing up.”

Eminem’s weight problem is a result of too many trips to Detroit’s Outback Steakhouses and Taco Bells, says the insider.

“Marshall has Taco Bell lunches of burritos and tacos with dessert, then Outback dinners of three filet mignons with all the fixings.”

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, January 28, 2008]

Eminem was once super fit so surely he knows what he’s got to do to shed those convenience food pounds. It’s easier said than done, though, and maybe his health scare will provide him with the impetus to make some positive changes in his lifestyle. He’s self medicating with food instead of booze and drugs, and although it doesn’t seem that bad at first it’s something that got out of hand for him and can lead to all sorts of health problems.

Update: The header photo is a direct scan from the National Enquirer that is currently available on the shelves and was not Photoshopped by us in any way. Commentor Shadygal pointed out that this photo is not Eminem “now” as is listed next to it by the Enquirer and was taken in March of 2006. The other photo that is available from this day shows Eminem from the side and he doesn’t look this heavy. It looks like the Enquirer Photoshopped this one, but they didn’t say anywhere that it was a “photo recreation” or that the photo was not current.