Is the News Making You Fat? The Hidden Weight of Staying Informed
We thought junk food was the problem — turns out junk information might be worse. Between endless 24-hour news cycles, doom-scrolling, and political rage bait, America’s waistline is growing for reasons that have nothing to do with fast food. This isn’t about calories — it’s about cortisol, comfort, and control.
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.
Energy for the Reboot: What Gen-X Runs On Now
The Gen-X grind never stopped — it just got smarter. From late-night edits to early-morning hustle, Bulletproof Coffee and KIND Bars have become the unofficial fuel of the CommonX crew. Clean energy, real flavor, no crash — just the stuff that keeps our generation running strong.
Remember when breakfast was a cigarette and a cup of gas-station coffee before work? Yeah… same.
But these days the reboot hits different. Gen-X is still grinding, just smarter about what we fuel up with. Between the podcast, work, and keeping our heads clear, we found the stuff that actually keeps the motor running — KIND Bars and Bulletproof Coffee.
Affiliate note: these are our go-tos — because they work. Every click helps keep CommonX ad-free.
The Gen-X Grind Isn’t Slowing Down
We came from the 90s — raised on convenience-store caffeine and music that never apologized. Now we’re parents, builders, and creators trying to balance everything without burning out.
Bulletproof’s MCT-infused brew hits that clean energy line — no crash, no jitters, just focus. Pair that with a KIND Bar in the glove box or your gym bag and you’ve got breakfast that fits between chaos and deadlines.
Real Fuel for Real People
Forget the “influencer” smoothies. Gen-X doesn’t need fancy — we need functional.
KIND = simple ingredients, real protein, actually tastes like food.
Bulletproof = clean fat + caffeine = mental clarity that outlasts a meeting.
Throw one in your backpack, grab one before recording, or stash a box in the shop next to the socket set.
The CommonX Connection
We talk a lot about energy — creative, emotional, physical.
Staying clear and sharp is part of why this show even exists.
This isn’t an ad, it’s survival gear for Gen-X dreamers who refuse to quit.
So next time you’re firing up the mic, heading into the shop, or chasing kids to soccer practice, skip the crash.
Fuel up, dial in, and keep that CommonX engine running clean.