Sylvester Stallone says his drive to achieve a highly defined physique for the “Rocky” and related films contributed to health problems, including bulimia and steroid use. In recent interviews, he describes the stress of maintaining extreme physical conditioning while also performing stunts, with the pressure building over multiple projects.
Sources agree he became bulimic during the period he was preparing or filming “Rocky” and later “Rambo,” framing it as an obsession with body image and fitness. Several outlets also report he used steroids during that time. Fox News and Times of India add detail about very low body-fat levels during “Rocky III” and mention anxiety episodes that began earlier in his life.
Outlets differ mainly in emphasis: some focus on the eating-disorder disclosure as the main new revelation, while others highlight the broader “terrible toll” of steroids and the psychological strain of performance and appearance demands. Collectively, the coverage presents Stallone’s account of how fame, physical expectations, and training intensity affected his well-being and mindset after the “Rocky” era.
