The not-so-big Lebowski: Why we've become so suspicious of people who lose weight

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Set us as preferred “Stunning!” “Shocking!”“Nearly unrecognizable!” “Unrecognisable!” (The British papers).When one of your favorite actors suddenly dominates your social media feed, it is easy to fear the worst.No.Not John Goodman.

Goodman was definitely trending this weekend, but thankfully he is alive and well.The newfound attention was prompted by a fan bumping into him at a L.A.grocery store and sharing a selfie with the actor.

The Instagram post was filled with love for the comic icon, a regular guy eager to take a selfie with a fan.But the internet seemed to see only one thing: Goodman’s weight loss.Soon, the fun fan shot was replaced by one of those grim before-and-after shots: An obese Goodman in his 30s and the slimmer Goodman in his 70s.One comment that captured the mood: “The not-so-big-Lebowski.”It was one of those memes that lasted a news cycle before the headlines faded.But not with me.

Awards Rosemary Candy and children Chris and Jennifer explain why they turned down countless offers to make a film about the late actor — until ‘John Candy: I Like Me.’I’ve closely followed Goodman’s career for reasons beyond his talent.As a morbidly obese young adult, I considered him one of my “big three,” along with John Candy and Chris Farley.My size was the struggle of my life, and these three men were role models I had trouble finding in real life.

Everyone loved them.People called them geniuses.

They were strong confident guys who were too cool and funny to be derailed by a cruel comment or a size-related mishap.I saw all their movies.

I tried to slip them into conversation, as if to remind whomever I was talking to perhaps I too could be beloved for my size.“Did you see SNL last night? Wasn’t Chris Farley great?” “John Goodman was the best part of ‘Barton Fink,’ right...