Comedian Ian Karmel & Dr. Alisa Karmel Author "T-Shirt Swim Club"

Why is something so visible so hard to talk about? Comedian Ian Karmel and his sister, Dr. Alisa Karmel, joined us to share their new book, "T-Shirt Swim Club", which opens up about the daily humiliations they often faced growing up overweight and how they unpacked the impact their weight had on them.
"T-Shirt Swim Club" is not a weight loss book. It’s about being a fat person in a skinny world. It’s about gym class and football practice; about chicken wings and juice cleanses; about airplane seats and rollercoasters; about fat jokes and Jabba the Hutt; about crying in the Big and Tall section and the joys of being a sneakerhead; about pre-diabetes and gout; and about realizing that you actually don’t want to eat yourself to death and hoping it’s not too late.
"T-Shirt Swim Club" also includes a "What Now?" section from Alisa, who herself cycled through so many fad diets that she eventually pursued a master’s in nutrition and a doctorate of psychology, with the goal of changing the contemporary narrative around fatness, so it’s helpful too.
For them, "T-Shirt Swim Club" is meant to be a place of support for anyone who struggles with weight issues. A place of care and candor, free of shame. A place to not deny or avoid the emotions you feel, the experiences you go through, the embarrassment, the anger, the resentment. It's about being a fat person and how the world treats fat people--but also an acknowledgement that maybe it doesn’t always have to feel quite so lonely.