Is the News Making You Fat? The Hidden Weight of Staying Informed

Written by Ian Primmer

Remember when watching the news meant a 30-minute update at dinner? Now it’s a full-time job. We wake up to breaking alerts, doom-scroll through lunch, and fall asleep to anchors arguing about the end of the world. And while we’re “staying informed,” something else is happening — our stress levels, eating habits, and waistlines are quietly expanding. Yes! Fox, CNN, Trump, Dems, Reps, are MAKING YOU FAT! Here’s why!

The Science Behind the Scroll

Every time we watch a shocking headline or heated debate, our bodies trigger a small stress response. Cortisol rises. Heart rate jumps. Over time, that chronic stress tells your body to store energy — just in case there’s a real threat.

Where does it store it? Right around the gut.

Add in late-night snacking while you’re watching cable chaos, and you’ve got a perfect storm of hormones and habits working against you.

News, Snacks, and the Dopamine Loop

Most people don’t realize they’re not watching the news — they’re feeding on it.

The constant outrage cycle is designed to hit the same dopamine centers that sugar and carbs do. Your brain wants more stimulation, so it pairs perfectly with comfort food. Chips. Soda. Doom-scrolling. Repeat.

It’s not just bad news — it’s addictive bad news.

When “Staying Informed” Becomes “Staying Stuck”

After a few months of daily news binges, motivation drops. You feel tired, hopeless, and convinced the world’s falling apart. So you skip the gym. You grab fast food. You call it “self-care.”

But really, it’s burnout — disguised as awareness.

We’re mistaking consumption for action.

⚡ The CommonX Challenge

Try this:

• Take one week off mainstream news.

• Replace that time with 30 minutes of walking, stretching, or podcasting (CommonX counts 😉).

• Watch what happens to your mood, your focus, and even your appetite.

Odds are, you’ll feel lighter — mentally and physically.

Turns out, the heaviest thing we’ve been carrying isn’t our bodies… it’s the weight of the world, delivered in HD.