A new study published in the peer-reviewed JAMA Network Open suggests that Americans may have gained 20 pounds over the course of the last year.

Notably, the study was very small and not extremely diverse. Only about 300 people participated in the study with the majority of the participants being white. The average age of the study was 51 and was almost evenly split between men and women.

Researchers analyzed data from participants in 37 states, and the District of Columbia taken over the course of February 1st, 2020 to June 1st, 2020. Data was collected from Bluetooth connected smart scales and researchers collected 7,444 weight measurements over the course of the study, around 28 measurements per person.

We know that weight gain is a public health problem in the U.S. already, so anything making it worse is definitely concerning, and shelter-in-place orders are so ubiquitous that the sheer number of people affected by this makes it extremely relevant.

How Much Weight Did We Gain During Lockdowns? 2 Pounds a Month, Study Hints

Obesity has been linked to a greater risk of Covid-19. Forty-two percent of Americans over the age of 20 have obesity, and an additional 32% of Americans are overweight.

Representative Cezar Mcknight (D-South Carolina) has received backlash after his proposal of a new bill. The bill titled the “South Carolina Vulnerable Child Compassion protection Act” bans minors from receiving gender-altering surgery or treatments that prevent/delay puberty. Any medical professional who violates the law would be charged with a felony and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

After the bill’s proposal, Mcknight received backlash from both his own party and those further left.

“I would not have ever put this bill forward if I didn’t think the people in my district wouldn’t be receptive, and they are. Pastors, young parents, older parents, they all tell me the same thing: if you want to do this, wait until you’re 18.”

While not explicitly stated, the language of the bill implies a ban on circumcision as well, stating:

…no person shall engage in, counsel, make a referral for, or cause any of the following practices to be performed upon a minor if the practice is performed for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the minor’s perception of the minor’s gender or sex, if that perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex as defined in this chapter:

(1)    prescribing, dispensing, administering, or otherwise supplying puberty-blocking medication to stop or delay normal puberty;

(2)    prescribing, dispensing, administering, or otherwise supplying supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or other androgens to females;

(3)    prescribing, dispensing, administering, or otherwise supplying supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males;

(4)    performing surgeries that sterilize, including castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, and penectomy;

(5)    performing surgeries that artificially construct tissue with the appearance of genitalia that differs from the individual’s sex, including metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, and vaginoplasty; or

(6)    removing any healthy or nondiseased body part or tissue.

To read more about the damages of circumcision check out this article.

The issue of gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for adolescents is an extremely nuanced topic. For more information on the issue, Joe Rogan has an excellent podcast episode with Abigail Shrier, author of “The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters” which you can listen to here.

The latest studies on masks estimate that humans are using 129 billion face masks each month, or around 3 million a minute. Experts have warned that mask pollution may be our next big plastic problem. The world health organization estimates 89 million medical masks are required each month for Covid response, with little chance of a decrease anytime soon.

A year ago U.S officials estimated the country would need 300 million face masks to meet the need for the pandemic. The company 3M made 550 million masks in 2019 and has plans to produce 2 billion masks this year, for as long as the pandemic lasts.

There’s no way to recycle plastic masks the same way there are plastic water bottles and other plastic products. Most disposable face masks are made of three layers that just continue to break down into smaller and smaller nanoparticles.

Like other plastic debris, “disposable masks may accumulate and release harmful chemical and biological substances, such as bisphenol A, heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms,” according to Xu and Ren. Some of the toxic chemicals released during degradation of plastic polymers include phthalates, organotin, nonylphenol, polybrominated biphenyl ether and triclosan.

3 Million Masks a Minute: The Next Plastic Problem?

OceanAsia reports 52 billion face masks were produced in 2020. Of those, 1.56 billion masks were estimated to have ended up in the ocean. Using a reusable cotton mask is better for both your health and the environment.

A national survey of 977 parents with kids between the ages of 13-18 analyzed the mental health of teens since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly half of parents have reported that their children are experiencing new or worse mental health problems since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos the C.S Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan medical school.

The restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19 have kept teens at home “at the age they were primed to seek independence from their families,” said poll co-director Dr. Gary Freed, who is the Percy and Mary Murphy professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan.

Nearly half of parents said teens face new or worsening mental health issues during pandemic, poll says

Parents of teen girls reported higher cases of depression and anxiety compared to boys. Thirty-one percent of teenage girls experienced depression compared to 18% of boys. Thirty-six% of teenage girls faced anxiety compared to 19% of boys. A quarter of parents have said that the pandemic has affected children’s sleep schedule.

A new report by Oxfam has shown that the ten richest men in the world have seen their wealth increase by half a trillion since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago. Meanwhile, many have lost their jobs with the unemployment rate peaking around 14%. The current unemployment rate is estimated to be 6.2%.

A recent report by Oxfam shows that “the world’s ten richest men have seen their combined wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began.” On the other hand, the majority of people have been ushered into “the worst jobs crisis in over 90 years with hundreds of millions of people now underemployed or out of work.” The report was titled “The Inequality Virus” and was published on the opening day of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) ‘Davos Agenda.’

World’s Ten Richest People See Wealth Increase By Half A Trillion Dollars Since Beginning of COVID

While the coronavirus took jobs and houses from people, Elon Musk surpassed Jeff Bezos as the richest man in the world. Jeff Bezos increased his net worth by 20% thanks to a surge in Amazon sales, and Bill Gates quietly bought up farmland becoming the countries largest farmland owner.

The Richest men in the world have more than enough money to make some of our larger financial problems go away. The housing crisis, world hunger, you name it. To try and comprehend just how much money the richest men in the world have, check out this wealth comparison chart.

A new study published in Environmental Science and Technology has detected 109 chemicals in pregnant women. Of the 109 chemicals, 55 have never been reported in people before. The chemicals were found both in the pregnant women and their children, indicating the chemicals travel through the placenta.

Scientists used high-resolution mass spectrometry to detect man-made chemicals in people. Of the chemicals that had not yet been identified in people:

• One is used as a pesticide
• Two are PFASs
• Two are used in cosmetics
• Four are used in high production volume (HPV) chemicals
• Ten are plasticizers

It’s very concerning that we are unable to identify the uses or sources of so many of these chemicals. EPA must do a better job of requiring the chemical industry to standardize its reporting of chemical compounds and uses. And they need to use their authority to ensure that we have adequate information to evaluate potential health harms and remove chemicals from the market that pose a risk.

Study finds evidence of 55 new chemicals in people

Using organic products and eating organic foods can limit the amount of chemicals in the body. Check out this article for more information on detoxing through diet.

Recommended: How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

The guardian recently analyzed data from 44 recent studies of more than 9,000 seafood samples from supermarkets, restaurants, and fishmongers. The data collected comes from more than 30 countries and shows that 36% of seafood was mislabeled.

Photo credit: MementoImage/Getty Images/iStockphoto

In some cases, fish were labeled as different species in the same family. In many cases, seafood is a cheaper, unpopular species of fish compared to what is supposed to be sold.

Because seafood is one of the most popular foods traded internationally, there is more room for mislabeling due to complex supply chains. The mislabeling of seafood is not a new problem and is significantly worse in restaurants than in stores.

Substituted fish can pose health risks. One frequent substitute for some varieties of tuna is escolar, a hard-to-digest oilfish. Others have unique parasites that may threaten health. Still others are less nutritious: when tilapia is a stand-in for red snapper, people are eating a fish with lower levels of nutrients, including lower omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Revealed: seafood fraud happening on a vast global scale

Between the mislabeling of seafood and the abundance of microplastics and other toxins often present in seafood, I generally try to avoid it altogether. When I do eat meat I stick to local grass fed organic meat, usually beef or pork.