It isn’t even on land.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a massive buildup of trash that’s floating in the Pacific Ocean. How massive? It has currently grown to be the size of Texas. The “island,” also dubbed “chemical soup,” has been one of the worst environmental disasters created by mankind for years–and it’s also been one of its best-kept secrets.

Many people don’t hear about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, simply because it hasn’t been covered by most news outlets. The Patch’s formation is due to A. human waste and B. the North Pacific Gyre. The North Pacific Gyre is a series of revolving currents located north of the Hawaiian Islands. Combined with weaker area currents, they serve to keep the ocean surface steady and calm–as well as to suck in oceanic debris with their high-pressure waves.

The problem, however, isn’t the waves: the problem is polymers–or, more specifically, plastic. Until its invention, the ocean was able to handle the buildup very well, simply using the materials that collected as nutrients for the creatures living in the icy blue depths. But plastic doesn’t dissolve, get absorbed, or get eaten; it just collects and floats–forming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Researchers claim that up to 80% of the refuse originates from land, not ships or the ocean itself.

Wii-lovers have found a new game associated with the program: injury. From doctors to children, many have inflicted injury upon themselves by playing the physical video game.

 Ailments like “Wii Shoulder” and “Wii Knee” have cropped-up, falling under the umbrella of the new nerve – disorder “Nintendinitis.”

 Programs like Wii Fit are great in that they get gamers off their couches and actively involved with the game. The new concept took hold; as The New York Times article “More Wii Warriors Are Playing Hurt” reported Wii sold more than 10 million of the game systems in the United States in 2008, including a record 2.1 million in December. The complementary Wii Fit exercise program has been nearly as popular, with more than 6.5 million sold since its introduction last May.

 Upon interviewing several orthopedists and sports medicine practitioners, the article citied rising numbers of injuries resulting from the game. Symptoms of strains and swelling have been reported from use and overuse of Wii.

Regional location plays a role in stress, as factors like disability or diabetes, untreated mental conditions like anxiety or depression, high unemployment rates, risky behaviors including cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse, and/or social circumstances such as lower incomes contribute to stress levels. 

States ranking higher in mental stress percentages were struggling more-so economically than their low-stress neighbors. Health services, medications, and hospital visits are all mighty expensive without health insurance, and those in economically dire situations more often than not do not have the means to afford the insurance.

In April 2009, the Obama Administration announced its plan to lift financial restrictions on stem cell researched. Not all restrictions will be lifted, but they will alleviate some implemented during the Bush era.

The lifted restrictions would allow surplus embryos from fertility clinics to be used for research.

As reported in The New York Times article “Some Restrictions Lifted on Stem Cell Research,” health institutes financed 260 research projects, at a total cost of $88 million, that involved stem cell lines approved by President Bush.

By lifting the restrictions, the number of research projects will be drastically increased, making headway in the cure for various diseases.

Excuses aside, organ donation is the box that all should check-off on their license, as its benefits outweigh the perceived negatives. The New York Times Blog  article “The Reluctant Organ Donor” dispels these excuses people use for opting not to donate. 

For instance, the operating doctor on a severely injured organ donor has no affiliation with the organizations that coordinate organ donation. Therefore, the hospital and doctor involved with surgery have no ties to the organ donation process, therefore would have no reason not to try to save lives. 

Stories of Hope, published on the Donate Life America website, offers a series of stories of those who benefited from organ donation.

Widespread food-borne infection outbreaks over the last few years in foods like peanut products and spinach have spiked salmonella outbreaks. The CDC reported a total of 48,000 salmonella cases in 2008, while three years prior in 2005, 42,000 outbreaks were reported. 

Salmonella infections were highest in New Mexico and Georgia. Rationale for the geographic spike may be as a result of local eating habits. 

A Texas-owned peanut plan closed in February 2009 as a result of  the $14.6 million fine imposed on it after a national salmonella outbreak sickening 700 people.

However, loss of income is not, and should not be equated with, loss of happiness or life itself. Effectively managing stress or getting the required help necessary can help alleviate stressors commonly associated with an economy in recession. The following are some tips from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for dealing with tough economic times:

1. Keep things in perspective. Remind yourself of all the great things you have in your life to prevent becoming resentful or bitter of financial downfall. 
2. Strengthen connections with loved ones or those who are there for emotional support. Having someone to lean-on and talk to through rough patches is an invaluable resource in the fight against depression. 
3. Engage in physical activities like sports or exercise, which are natural stress reducers. 
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Medical practitioners, spiritual leaders, counselors, or a community health center can all assist you through troubled times. 

According to NPR.org, brown fat generates heat and helps maintain the body’s core temperature. It is predominant in infants, as they are more prone to colds, and as age increases, brown fat decreases. Though younger people have more brown fat than older people, leaner people have a higher distribution than obese individuals. It is unknown whether or not obesity is caused by the lack of brown fat or if the amount of brown fat decreases as the individual gains weight. 

This discovery could reinvent the weight-loss industry as it could generate new ways to burn fat. Researchers speculate there could be a drug formulated to activate brown fat. Brown fat is activated in the presence of cold weather, so keeping the thermostat down could also be of benefit for people looking to shed some weight.

According to the American Heart Association, 145 million men and women over 20 are overweight in the US, and of these individuals, 74.1 are obese. Obviously, finances are not the sole reason for these staggering numbers. Still, the emotional toll of financial instabilility may create a lifestyle revolving around stress, shame, guilt, and/or  uncertainty — all of which are emotional cues to eat. The Cleveland Clinic goes so far as to account emotional eating as responsible for 75 percent of overeating. 

By taking responsibility for finances, creating accurate records and a livable budget, analyzing and searching for the root of emotional distress, and understanding what non-eating activities alleviate your mood, overeating and avoiding weight gain in the recession allows you to contribute to the best investment around: your health.

A concussion occurs when the brain collides with the skull, resulting in short-term side effects that can include headaches, nausea, loss of motor dexterity and loss of short-term memory. More serious long-term effects can be permanent loss of memory, severe depression, and complete loss of motor dexterity.

Concussions make up a substantial number of injuries in high school and college athletes, and many athletes return to their sports far too soon after suffering a concussion.

Employing a certified athletic trainer to support high school sports programs can be a terrific preventative measure to reduce injury and after-effects in the event of a concussion.