The weight thing goes back a lot farther than Inception:
1993: Sniper: still looks great, only a drop older than 1986's Platoon.
2001: Training Day. 8 years later, now quite bloated.
If you look at the movies made in the period between those two, you will see that he gradually gains weight from year to year.
It should be against the law to use 'LOL'; unless you really did LOL!

It's amazing to me and APPALLING that so many on this thread are apologists for him.
I.
"Hey, he's getting older, it happens, just a fact of life" Really? Then why isn't that your response to women over 50 who have a little padding?

Here's a
fact of life
: During pregnancy and menopause, women experience weight gain because of radical hormonal changes. IT'S A SCIENTIFIC FACT. Yet nobody has such a laid-back reply to chubby women, let alone those who are outright fat. Women get fat-shamed, but men get the green light (Hey, it's just part of getting older). U T T E R B U L L S H I T.
AND
, women Berenger's age+older go to great lengths to keep their figure: Jessica Walter, Diane Keaton, Barbara Walters, Patricia Clarkson, Shelly Long, Jean Smart, Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, Glenn Close, Lesley Manville, Veronica Cartwright, Brooke Adams, Barbara Hershey, Jessica Lange, Judith Light, Sissy Spacek, Tilda Swinton, Zoe Wanamaker, Isabelle Huppert, etc. etc. etc.). It is a societally imposed tyranny that actresses have to stay slim if they are to get work whereas actors can get 111cas fat and grey and pockmarked as they like.
-> Berenger isn't just "a little heavy"; at this point, he's low-end obese yet he and all the other male blobs (Drew Carey, Kevin James, Alec Baldwin, Chris Noth, Vincent D'Onofio, William Shatner, James Spader, George Wendt, Timothy Spall, Fred Thompsom, J.K. Simmons, Ian MacNeice, David Calder, Clive Swift, Ryan O'Neill, Burt Young, and Danny DeVito, to name just a few) have no trouble getting work (or HAD no trouble: Dom Deluise (RIP), James Coco (RIP), John Belushi (RIP), John Candy (RIP), Chris Farley (RIP), Chris Penn (RIP) ). NOT SO FOR WOMEN! Very few chunky actresses have thriving careers, and I can think of only two fat ones who do. And let's not get started on men being allowed to act regardless of how unattractive their faces (DeVito, Wendt, Simmons, Carey, McNeice, Michael Berryman,Luis Guzmn, Richard Kiel, Vincent Schiavelli, Danny Trejo, Forest Whitaker, etc. etc. etc.) whereas the few chunky-to-fat women wouldn't have careers if not for their pretty faces (Cameron Manheim, Melissa McCarthy, Mindy Kaling, Kathy Bates, Kirstie Alley ).
II.
Extra weight causes a lot of health problems, from diabetes to heart disease to joint stress that often ends in knee- and/or hip-replacement. The US is wasting a LOT of money treating health problems that could easily have been prevented money that could be used to treat the millions who are still uninsured. That is INSANE.
And it's doubly insane to see someone who has the cash to make appointments with professionals (nutritionist, chef, physical therapist, personal trainer, acupuncturist, massage therapist, psychotherapist) still wallowing in his unhealthy lard.
III.
If Berenger has received treatment for addiction, then presumably he (as a wealthy person) has made sure to surround himself with all sorts of health professionals who can help him take care of himself: nutritionist, part-time chef to prepare meals that are both healthful and delicious; personal trainer; acupuncturist to help with relaxation and coping with one's triggers; massage therapist to help with stress (body work can also help with emotional healing to address whatever led to the addiction); etc. If the addiction arose from injury-caused pain, then he could see a physical therapist, and here too acupuncture and massage therapy are helpful.
Point is, plenty of not-wealthy people break addictions with minimal help from the sources above AND without become lard@sses. So I have little patience with a "celebrity" who won't avail himself of the wonderful resources out there.
Most of all, I have ZERO PATIENCE with this insane and soul-destroying double-standard that says soothingly to a fat actor, "There, there just part of aging, and you still look great!" while shoving every actress who has gained a few pounds under the fat-shaming microscope and plastering her, with fat-shaming text, on magazine covers. People,
get with it already
.

He looks alot like Kathy Bates now

Hoohawnaynay
"It irritates me when people blame age. Paul Newman was still thin and hot when he was 60. Tom does look like he may hit the booze a bit hard."
It irritates me when people chose to be ignorant. Just because Paul Newman was still thin does not mean Berenger has to be thin like Paul Newman. Everyone is different. Your metabolism does slow down naturally as one gets older, some a lot more than others. There is nothing wrong with blaming age, it is one of the common factors.
If he's so smart, how come he's dead?
:
Homer Simpson

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STARVE FIRST?!" - Humphrey Bogart, 'Dead End' (1937)
No. Lillian Hellman.
It should be against the law to use "LOL" unless you really did LOL!

Geez, no need to be rude
"WHY DIDN'T YOU STARVE FIRST?!"

Humphrey Bogart
,
'Dead End' (1937)

No you idiot, his ruddy bloated face makes him look like an alcoholic. I've seen lots of them that have that same look. I was directing that stupid notion that age alone makes one fat. Only if you let it.
Tom has a very reddish puffy face that is indicative of a heavy drinker. Now, go s___w yourself.

So if your 60 and overweight, can we assume your an "alcoholic"? That's narrow minded IMO.

It irritates me when people blame age. Paul Newman was still thin and hot when he was 60. Tom does look like he may hit the booze a bit hard.

I'd 5b4love to read any articles you find on Tom, thanks for looking.

It's been a few years since I'd read that, and being that it was somewhere on the internet Who knows if it's true or not (besides Tom).
But, in reading people's theorys on Berenger's weight gain, I remembered those stories, and figured it kinda made sense.
I'll do a little searching and see if I can find any of those old articles.

I'm with you Dr.t2, he gives great performances.
I haven't read all that you talk about above, but would l111cove to, if you remember where you read it.

As a long time Berenger fan (1986 to be exact) and to some (jewmadd) I may even hold a doctorate in all things Berenger, I have a few select opinions on his weight gain.
First, I had read (somewhere) that he was involved in a fairly serious car accident sometime in the late 90s, early 2000s. This could account for the back problem that someone had mentioned. I had also read (somewhere else) that he was once treated for a painkiller addiction, which could have been a result of the accident.
Either way (true or not) his weight really began to escalate in the mid 2000s, so it would make sense (time-line wise). If youve ever seen someone come off a painkiller addiction, or basically any addiction, they tend to gain weight (in a healthy way)..
I had also read (somewhere else entirely) that he underwent hip replacement surgery not too long ago. This could account for a steroid usage, and thus an appetite enhancement.
On a much more normal level, the guy is 61 years old He likes to cook and entertain family and friends. Our metabolisms change dramatically in our 50s and those steak dinners seem to hang around (literally) a bit longer.
I say let him eat and enjoy his golden years. He still gives us fantastic performances on screen, and thats why were talking about him.
The Doctor has left the building

I've been out of the "movie loop" for awhile but have been a Tom Berenger fan for some timeI now have time to catch up on some of his moviesWhile watching Sniper 3 I noticed what I thought was a difference in his "gait" or walk as tho having some knee or back discomfortJust wondering if he might be on steroid therapy for an ailmentThat might explain his "moon" face and "tummy"Injury or ailment could be reducing his activity level and steroids can increase the appetiteThis is just speculation on my part and it's none of my businessI will continue to enjoy his films at any rate

Irez, I saw the pic you posted the link to. Its the best pic, I think. He has gained a bit of weight, but he's still the man! I'm like you, I hope he's taking care of himself and continues to make those movies we love!
I can say for sure, the woman in the Inception premier pic is not Trish, his third wife. Trish is still in her 30's and that woman is older. I agree, she got a little carried away preparing to walk the red carpet with her cosmetic work. We tend to see what they have altered instead of looking at the person.
His daughters are very pretty. One is almost as tall as he is and they both favor him. I'd love to see him in a current pic with all six of his children.

This is the only one I can find now, it's just one photo but I've definitely seen more somewhere. I'll post the links if I can find it again tomorrow!
http://movies.about.com/od/inception/ig/Inception-Premiere-Photos/Tom-Berenger-Inception-Pic.htm

Do you have a link to those pics??
"WHY DIDN'T YOU STARVE FIRST?!"

Humphrey Bogart
,
'Dead End' (1937)

Jewmadd, did you see the Inception premiere pics? I must admit, he did seem very bloated. . .hope he's taking care of himself properly!
Btw, did you see the woman he was with? I've only ever seen a few pics but that looked like his third wife Patricia to me - remember we were wondering if there'd been a separation? I hate to say it, but I thought she looked very plastic - it looked to me like she'd overdone it on the Botox and collagen.
His daughters are very pretty, aren't they?

I'm a true Berenger fan so when I see his weight gain, my concern is his health. We don't know what goes on in his life. I hope he will get healthy and keep putting out the movies.

My speculation.someone has an alcohol problemJust a hunch from how he has gained the weight with the bloating. Everyone keeps saying that he is 61, but he didn't gain the weight until the last few years. Look at the stills and it wasn't until like 2007 that that trademark beer gut started coming in.
Pretty sad when people let themselves go like this

Well, he is 60 years old let's not forget that He's a little bloated (well, a lot) but I still think he looks good. I mean, he went from being the sexiest man in the world IMO, to this. But I'd still do him.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU STARVE FIRST?!"

Humphrey Bogart
,
'Dead End' (1937)