On average, Americans get 15 or so minutes of face time with their doctor per office visit. That may not seem like much time, and there's long been this general notion that medical care would be better if doctors didn't (or didn't need to) see so many patients in a day.

The notion, though, may not be true.

An updated review of five studies in the United Kingdom, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, found that when doctors increased the length of their consultations with patients, not much actually happened or changed.

"With more time," wrote researchers Andrew Wilson of the University of Leicester and Susan Childs of the University of Northumbria, "doctors did not prescribe more drugs, did not run more tests, did not make more referrals and did not do more examinations, except perhaps checking blood pressure more often."

Patients were not more satisfied with their care with longer consultations, nor did the additional time change whether they came back for another appointment about the same medical problem, the researchers said.

The only effect, according to Wilson and Childs, was that doctors spent more time discussing how patients could take better control of their health.

And maybe the doctor showed off pictures of his or her new boat.

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

The atoms in your body go through a complete turnover once every seven years, but obviously not all at the same time.

GET ME THAT. STAT!

By 2030, most American adults will be overweight or obese, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Based on prevailing trends, researchers say 86 percent of all adults will be overweight or obese within the next 22 years, resulting in related health-care costs of as much as $956.9 billion.

NEVER SAY DIET

The world's speed-eating record for pigs' feet and knuckles is 2.89 pounds in 10 minutes, held by Arturo Rios Jr.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A bacon and egg quesadilla from Del Taco (175 grams) contains 450 calories, 207 from fat. That's 35 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains 260 milligrams of cholesterol (87 percent); 920 mg of sodium (38 percent); 40 grams of total carbohydrates (13 percent); 2 g of dietary fiber (8 percent); 2 g of sugar; and 21 g of protein.

MEDTRONICA

Healthy Hollywood

healthyhollywood.com

If you think you can only lose weight by going on Eva Longoria's latest diet, here is the site for you. Presuming, of course, that Longoria, Denise Richards or J.Lo know something you don't.

STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM

Noted American writer and wit Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was once visited in the hospital by her secretary, who she had summoned to transcribe some letters. Parker pressed a button marked "NURSE" beside her bed.

"That," she declared, "should assure us of at least 45 minutes of undisturbed privacy."

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Geumophobia — fear of taste

BEST MEDICINE

Three ways to drive your therapist crazy:

1. Complain that his chair looks more comfortable.

2. Refuse to cooperate unless he trades pants.

3. Tell him you think his receptionist is really a man.

OBSERVATION

If you trust Google more than your doctor, then maybe it's time to switch doctors.

— Jadelr and Cristina Cordova, authors of the Chasing Windmills video-blog (chasingmills.blogspot.com)

CURTAIN CALLS

Olivia Goldsmith, whose first novel "The First Wives Club" satirized plastic surgery junkies, died in 2004 from anesthesia complications during a routine chin tuck. She was 54.

To find out more about Scott Lafee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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