Ian Karmel, a stand-up comedian, former co-head writer of "The Late Late Show With James Corden," and author, has publicly shared his experiences with weight, body image, and health. His journey, marked by humor and introspection, offers insights into the challenges of being a "fat person in a skinny world" and the path towards self-acceptance and better health. Karmel's story isn't just about weight loss; it's about confronting societal pressures, understanding personal motivations, and finding a healthier, happier way of life.
Early Life and Comedy
Growing up in Oregon, Karmel describes himself as a chubby kid who weighed 300 pounds by middle school and over 420 pounds by the time he was 30. For years, much of Karmel's stand-up comedy centered around his body size, and he became a “big fat stand-up comedian” and built a career on fat jokes, he writes in his new book, “T-Shirt Swim Club: Stories from Being Fat in a World of Thin People.” He used humor as a defense mechanism. As a fat kid, you're learning that you're going to get made fun of. And for me, I was like, well, if that's happening, I want to be in on it. I'm going to beat you to the joke. Karmel says he and Corden talked about being “fat kids” all the time.
The "T-Shirt Swim Club"
The title of Karmel's book, "T-Shirt Swim Club," refers to the unspoken practice of fat kids wearing T-shirts in the pool to hide their bodies. The cover of the book echoes the title, portraying a kid at the beach. He explains, “When you go to the pool, and all of a sudden your big fat body is hanging out there and you’re like, ‘OK, I know how I’ll fix that. I’ll put on a T-shirt,’ which immediately gets wet, and clings to every curve of your torso. This act, he explains, is driven by internalized body shame and a desire to protect oneself from prying eyes. It’s absurd. We wear this T-shirt because we either want to protect ourselves, I think, from prying eyes. But I think what it really is is this internalized body shame, where we want to, like - where I'm like, hey, I know my body's disgusting. I know I'm going to gross you out while you're just trying to have a good time at the pool. So let me put this T-shirt on. And it's all the more ridiculous, you know, 'cause it doesn't change any - it doesn't actually cover you up. Instead, it's, like, a thin.
Health Scare and Turning Point
During his eight years working on “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” he reached his peak weight-420 pounds. After a scary visit to the doctor, Karmel decided to start making changes in his lifestyle. In the summer of 2020, I thought I was having a heart attack. It turned out to be a terrible panic attack. I finally went to the doctor and my blood pressure was 200-something over 100-something. Karmel recalls his life as a 420-pound man, "I was really unhealthy and locked in these really unhealthy habits". “My blood pressure was 200, over 100 and something and I was really unhealthy. When a doctor comes in and says, very seriously, ‘You could die from this, that’s the kind of blood pressure where you could have a heart attack or a stroke, those are very realistic things that can happen,'” he says. This health scare served as a wake-up call, motivating him to prioritize his well-being.
The Weight Loss Journey
Karmel embarked on a weight loss journey, losing 200 pounds on his own and has kept it off for three years. Karmel lost weight the old-fashioned way. “Our entire society is built around simultaneously punishing fat people and trying to make people as fat as possible, at the same time,” Karmel says. “It’s easier to get a cheeseburger than it is to get a salad, and then the world is cruel to the person who eats the cheeseburger. He achieved this through a combination of eating less, eating better, and working out. "I lost 200 pounds by eating less, eating better and working out. I’ve kept most of it off since 2021." He emphasizes the importance of planning ahead, filling his house with fruits, vegetables, cauliflower rice, and lean proteins. I always plan ahead. I’m not hungry when I go to the grocery store. I get fruits, vegetables, cauliflower rice and lean proteins, and that’s what I’m going to have in my house. In the past, I would have ordered food and eaten 3,000 calories without even thinking about it.
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Karmel also stresses the significance of regular exercise, aiming for 10,000 steps a day and incorporating gym workouts into his routine. I walk 10,000 steps a day, no matter what. I go for a walk in the morning, in the evening and then just throughout the rest of the day, which adds up to 10,000 steps. That’s my baseline. I try to go to the gym every day that I can. I’ve found out that working out feels good, which sucks. I hate telling people that the more you work out, the better it feels. It’s terrible news, but it actually true. Going to the gym feels better, eating better does feel better. All these clichés are true and it’s such a bummer.
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
For Karmel, weight management is an ongoing process. He weighs himself regularly as part of his self-diagnostic routine, using the number on the scale as a tool for awareness rather than a source of anxiety. I weigh myself regularly. The number on the scale has caused a lot of people terror and anxiety, but I don’t let it. I make it a part of my entire self-diagnostic routine. When I have a craving, I go eat that thing. I’m not going to live the rest of my life without having a Reuben sandwich or a cupcake every now and then, but it’s a matter of being aware.
Views on Weight Loss Drugs
In a world where weight loss drugs like Ozempic are now the new normal, Karmel lost weight the old-fashioned way. He expresses a nuanced perspective on weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, acknowledging their potential benefits while emphasizing the importance of addressing one's relationship with food. I feel incredibly bitter that weight-loss drugs didn’t come out six months sooner. Otherwise, it would have been a lot easier for me to lose that way. I’m not against them. I would consider it, but at the same time losing weight through discipline with my diet, I have built tools for myself that are based in hard learned lessons and habits that I formed. I don’t look down on anyone for taking any of those drugs. I would just hope they’re also examining their relationship to food outside of when they’re on Ozempic or Wegovy. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re going to have to be reliant on a pharmaceutical for the rest of your life.
"T-Shirt Swim Club: Stories from Being Fat in a World of Thin People"
Karmel spent nearly two years writing the book with his younger sister Alisa Karmel, who is a clinical psychologist. They both have gone through weight issues, have dealt with bullying and struggled with self-confidence. The memoir delves into his formative years as a fat kid, the impact of societal attitudes, and the journey towards self-acceptance. One of the things is so powerful, among many things that you write in this book, is that when you're a fat kid, you learn to anticipate the cruelty of people. Karmel says he was first in awe at the opportunity to collaborate with the former talk show host.
The book also includes insights from his sister, Dr. Alisa Karmel, a clinical psychologist, who provides an understanding of how to interact with and support people who are experiencing fatness. “This book, it’s not just for fat people, it’s also for anyone who has been bullied or anyone who has family members or loved ones or anything like that, who have been fat at any stage of their life, or even anyone who wants to understand them better,” Karmel says. “I think everyone’s been bullied. Kids are scared, and when you’re scared, you’re mean.
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Message of Self-Acceptance
Looking back on his life and the experiences he’s endured, Karmel has a message he’d like to tell his younger self: “Go about your life and find the people who love you for who you are. Don't reject yourself before you put yourself out there because you will close yourself off from really living. If you ask someone out and they say no, it hurts, it sucks, but you get up, you dust yourself off and you try again. Getting rejected by another person doesn't really hurt that bad - people are mostly pretty nice. Let other people see the beautiful things in you. Don’t close that stuff off, because even if it’s not for everyone, it’s going to be for someone.
The Lasting Impact of Being a "Fat Kid"
Even after losing 200 pounds, Karmel believes that being a "fat kid" is an indelible part of his identity. Being fat defined so much of my life - from my experiences on airplanes to my romantic life, to my relationships with my friends and family. Even after losing 200 pounds, it will always be etched into my soul and my DNA. You never stop being a fat kid.
Overcoming the Fear of Doctors
Karmel also addresses the fear that many fat people have of going to the doctor. You are so acutely aware when you’re fat that every time you go to the doctor, it’s only going to be bad news. And no matter what affliction you go into the doctor with, they’re going to also bring up your weight. I have this joke I tell on stage, but it’s based in reality: You could walk into a doctor’s office with a samurai sword sticking out of your torso and before the doctor gets to the sword, they’re going to say, “You really need to lose some weight.” For fat people who’ve been avoiding the doctor, I just want them to know: Even though it’s hard and it sucks, it’s also worth it. These are some of the best people who can actually help you.
A Word on Terminology
Karmel also addresses the use of the word "fat," reclaiming it as a neutral descriptor rather than a derogatory term. Well-upholstered. All of these that - Rubenesque. There's all these different terms. And, you know, early on, when I was talking to Alisa about writing this book, we were like, are we going to say fat? I think we should say fat. And we had a conversation about it, and we landed on the determination that it's not the word's fault that people treat fat people like garbage. And we tend to do this thing where we will bring in a new word. We will load that word up with all of the sin of our behavior, toss that word out, pull a new one in. And then all of a sudden, we let that word soak up all the sin, and we never really change the way we actually treat people. It becomes the word's fault.
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