Steve Doocy, a familiar face on Fox News and a long-time co-host of Fox & Friends, has shared insights into his journey to healthier living. Born on October 19, 1956, in Algona, Iowa, Doocy started his television career with reporter jobs at TV stations in Topeka, Des Moines, Wichita, and Kansas City. His first major market assignment was as a features reporter for WRC, in Washington, D.C. He joined Fox News in 1996 and has become an advocate for healthy living, encouraging his audience to prioritize their well-being. This article explores his experiences, challenges, and the lifestyle changes that led to his improved health.
Early Life and Career
Stephen James Doocy is the longest running co-host in network morning television history behind only Al Roker. Doocy was born in Algona, Iowa, the first child and only son of James "Jim" Edward Doocy, who worked in sales and construction, and JoAnne Doocy, née Sharp. He was raised in Industry, Kansas, and attended Kansas grade schools in Russell, Salina, and Industry. He graduated from the University of Kansas, in Lawrence, with a Bachelor of Science in journalism. On May 1, 2025, Fox News announced that after serving as a New York City based co-host of Fox & Friends for 27 years, to broaden the reach of the program Doocy would start traveling extensively for the morning show.
The Wake-Up Call
As Doocy approached his late 60s, he began to feel the burden of age, stress, and an unhealthy lifestyle. In 2025, at 67 years old, Steve Doocy weighed nearly 30 pounds more than his ideal weight. "I looked down, saw the number, and my heart sank," Steve recalled. "I wasn’t obese, but I sure wasn’t healthy."
What pushed Steve to act wasn’t just the scale - it was watching his wife Kathy’s battle with serious health complications. The Fox News veteran, always quick with a quip on air, suddenly found himself silent in the kitchen.
Embracing a Sustainable Lifestyle
Like many Americans, Steve initially turned to trendy fixes. But Kathy stepped in. “That’s not sustainable,” she told him flatly. Instead, the Doocys embraced a more realistic path: whole foods, home cooking, and a lifestyle built around joy, not restriction. Their shared passion for cooking turned into something powerful. This wasn’t just a diet.
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Steve follows a balanced and wholesome diet to maintain his energy levels throughout his demanding work schedule. Aside from a nutritious diet, Steve Doocy engages in a regular fitness routine to stay active and fit.
The "Happy Cookbook" and its Impact
The Doocys also authored "The Happy Cookbook", featuring over 100 recipes of foods that evoke positive feelings. What you don’t know about the cookbook is that after more than a year of being my wife’s chief food tester and recipe researcher, eating wonderful comfort foods like a guy waiting for the governor to call with a pardon … something had to give.
It was around Christmas that I noticed my wife had apparently started washing my jeans in super hot water because they were suddenly tight. But it was not the washer or the dryer making jeans tighter. It was an occupational hazard of cookbookery. If you make three or four fantastic family classic recipes a day for a year you’re going to gain some weight.
Experimenting with Keto
After more than a year of being his wife’s chief food tester and recipe researcher, eating wonderful comfort foods, Steve decided to go on a one-month diet. A guy at work told him he’d gone on the Keto diet and lost 30 pounds in no time. Tim Tebow and the Kardashians supposedly were on it, as was a trainer who swore it helped him with his dyslexia and got rid of brain fog.
The diet is very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and very high in fat. I got a couple cookbooks with detailed diet plans and half the recipes had bacon! “I’m going Keto!” I announced to Kathy. She paused a moment and then actually responded: “Keto? Neato.”
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The diet has a lot of restrictions - for me only 20 grams of carbs a day - but the carbs you should avoid included wheat bread, pasta, cookies, pizza, beans, most fruits, all fruit juices, potatoes and, of course, sugar. The Keto cookbook suggested Bulletproof Coffee, just a cup of hot coffee right out of the Keurig, to which I added a squirt of MCT oil (something from coconuts) a dash of cinnamon and then I added something that I have never put in my coffee in my entire lifetime, two tablespoons of grass-fed BUTTER.
My Keto lunch and dinner on the first day were all delicious, and by design super heavy on the fat, very light on the carbs. I never felt hungry, had lots of energy, and at dinner, I skipped my nightly glass of Cabernet (thanks Dry January), then at bedtime, I was out like a light.
My second day on Keto, I woke up with a splitting headache. “You’ve got Keto flu, don’t worry about it”, the guy who lost 30 pounds told me, “It should go away in a few days or weeks.” Instead, I spent that first week scouring Instagram for new bacon recipes. And even though I was always full from my butter-coffee and fatty lunches, at dinner I’d count my macros (don’t ask) and calculate how many carbs I’d eaten that day. If I went over 20, my day of trying to achieve ketosis was ruined.
Suddenly my beloved blueberries were Keto kryptonite. Keep in mind, I’d spent a year writing a cookbook where at every meal I’d make pot-roast or breaded pork chops, smoked pork butt or Sunday Gravy, always accompanied by melt-in-your-mouth sides, culminating with a slice of pie or sheet cake or a waffle brownie … and now most of the foods that gave me a reason for living were off limits.
On Day 7, I announced to Kathy: “I am done talking about Keto…” And with that my wife vetoed Keto. THANK YOU! (Keto works for many people, just not me).
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Embracing the Pegan Diet
While I immediately missed the bacon, I had not lost any weight, but I still had my goal, so I started a diet Dr. Oz had told me about called the Pegan diet. Dr. Mark Hyman at the Cleveland Clinic pioneered the Pegan diet, nicknamed as such because it combines paleo and vegan diet principles. The idea is to eat foods that don't raise your blood sugar.
I could still eat steak (grass fed) and eggs (pasture raised) as long as most of my plate was covered with tasty fruits and vegetables. Blueberries no longer kryptonite! The diet - called “Eat Fat, Get Thin” - was a perfect fit for me, because the initial diet is 21 days the exact time I had left in Dry January and during those 21 days you cannot drink beer/wine/booze.
Fast forward to today, it’s now February and I finished the initial three-week part of the diet, which worked great for me. I got more energy, it was easier to fall asleep at night (very important to morning show hosts) and I either lost a little weight or my wife decided to stop shrinking my jeans in the dryer.
The Results and Reactions
“I didn’t go hungry,” he admitted. The weight came off gradually - not overnight. But the changes were impossible to ignore. Friends noticed. Viewers commented. Some might assume this was a cosmetic decision - a television anchor wanting to stay camera-ready. Colleagues described him as “sharper, calmer, and more focused.” One Fox News producer even said, “Steve wasn’t just thinner. He was happier." In a high-pressure environment like network news, mental clarity is priceless. Tears were shed on-air. Viewers were stunned.
Balancing Health with a Demanding Career
As a public figure, Steve Doocy's health statements have occasionally been subject to media scrutiny. In the age of misinformation, it is crucial to fact-check health claims. On September 15, 2020, Doocy made news when he challenged President Trump's announcement of a series of weekly appearances on Fox and Friends. Doocy responded: "You may want to do it every week, but Fox is not committed to that. Doocy earned attention in 2022 and 2023 for questioning the Joe Biden-Ukraine Investigation, arguing that there was no evidence to support an impeachment.
In May 2025 Doocy announced that the Fox News Channel had based him in Florida with his new assignment to broadcast live from various remote locations across the country for the Fox & Friends program. when it was announced Doocy was being transferred by Fox News to Florida, President Donald Trump recorded a video tribute to the longtime co-host.
Steve Doocy’s story isn’t just about pounds lost. It’s about adopting a sustainable lifestyle that prioritizes well-being. “It’s never too late to feel better,” Steve said.
Family Life
The Doocys also authored The Mr. and Mrs. Doocy is married to Kathy Doocy (née Gerrity), a former model and TV sports reporter who starred in a TV commercial for the Chatty Cathy doll. The couple have three adult children: Mary, Sally and Peter Doocy.