Cochrane Reviews are high-standard, independent systematic reviews of health care research. The latest to be published looks at whether intermittent fasting — a practice of limiting eating to only a few hours each day — is an effective way to lose weight.

According to the reviewers, current existing evidence says no.

The review found that when compared to both regular dietary advice and to no intervention at all, intermittent fasting makes "little to no difference" in how much weight people lost, their quality of life or the experience of any adverse events, reported STAT.

Reviewers analyzed more than two dozen studies and nearly 2,000 participants who were categorized as overweight or obese. One caveat: Current evidence is considered to possess very low certainty due to the studies' risk of bias, inconsistency and imprecision. More robust research is needed, especially studies that measure people's satisfaction with the practice, diabetes status and overall measures of other health problems.

Body of Knowledge

On average, researchers say people remember approximately 5,000 faces, though some can recognize up to 10,000 mugs from memory and others just 1,000 or so. Prosopagnosia is the neurological condition in which people do not recognize familiar faces. Sometimes called "face blindness," it can result from brain damage or be present from birth.

Counts

71: Percentage of baby food products classified as ultraprocessed foods (Source: Nutrients journal)

Doc Talk

Exostosis: Abnormal bony growths in the ear caused by swimming regularly in cold water; sometimes called "surfer's ear"

Phobia of the Week

Kopophobia: Fear of fatigue

Life in Big Macs

One hour of sitting or singing in church burns 102 calories (based on a 150-pound person), the equivalent of 0.1 Big Macs.

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for boysenberry pie is 14.5 pounds in eight minutes, held by Joey Chestnut.

Best Medicine

One evening, a man visits his doctor.

The doctor asks what's wrong and the man says, "I think I'm a moth."

The doctor is chagrined. "You think you're a moth?" he exclaims. "You don't need a doctor. You need is a therapist."

"I know," replies the man. "I was on my way to see a therapist, but then I saw your light was on."

Hypochondriac's Guide

Bromodosis tends to be worse for those around than for the sufferer. It's the medical term for stinky feet, caused when bacteria in your shoes or on your skin break down sweat produced by your feet. One remedy: Don't wear the same shoes two days in a row. Let them air out.

Observation

"Middle age is when you begin to exchange your emotions for symptoms." — American humorist Irvin S. Cobb (1876-1944)

Medical History

This week in 1822, Charles M. Graham of New York was issued the first U.S. patent for artificial teeth. The record and its details were lost in the Great Patent Office Fire of 1836.

Similarly lost was the patent by William R. Eagleson for setting natural and artificial teeth. False teeth had been used since the colonial era, with various attempts to replace rotten teeth that had been extracted to avoid illness.

George Washington had at least four sets of false teeth, though contrary to myth, none were wooden. Washington's first dentures were made using human teeth set into carved ivory. In 1789, dentist John Greenwood made Washington a complete set from hippopotamus ivory, gold wire springs and brass screws holding human teeth. Washington had only one natural remaining tooth — and a hole was made in the denture to accommodate it.

Perishable Publications

Many, if not most, published research papers have titles that defy comprehension. They use specialized jargon, complex words and opaque phrases like "nonlinear dynamics." Sometimes they don't, yet they're still hard to figure out. Here's an actual title of actual published research study: "Of Mites and Men."

In 1993, Robert Lopez published a paper in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in which he answered the universal question: "Can ear mites from a cat live in human ears too?"

Lopez used himself as the test subject, transferring multiple mites multiple times from infected cat ears into his own. The answer to his question: Yes, unfortunately.

Sum Body

Five body parts that do not require oxygenated blood:

1. Cornea: the only part of the body lacking blood vessels. It relies on diffusion from the air and the aqueous humor to remain functional.

2. Cartilage: found in joints, ears and nose. It does not have its own blood supply and receives nutrients through diffusion.

3. Hair and nails: composed of dead keratinized cells.

4. Tooth enamel: nonliving tissue composed almost entirely of inorganic minerals.

5. Epidermis: topmost layer of skin cells receive oxygen directly from the atmosphere.

Curtain Calls

Monica Myers, former mayor of Betterton, Maryland, died in 1980 at age 70 while checking the town's sewage tanks. Alone, she apparently slipped off a catwalk into 15 feet of putty-like human waste and drowned.

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.

Photo credit: Joachim Schnürle at Unsplash