DR. WALLACE: I've always been rather slim and want to stay that way, but lately I have been adding a pound here and a pound there. I want to stay thin, but I am well aware that I'm a prime candidate to become a victim of anorexia (self-starvation).

I know that it is a serious eating disorder that is very difficult to overcome. I've heard of tragic outcomes to young girls who follow this method to keep their shape, and I don't want it to happen to me. What can I do to make sure I stay slim, but don't go off the deep end into self-starvation? - Nameless, Hammond, La.

NAMELESS: Don't look at food as the enemy or try to keep your slim figure by severely limiting how much you eat. Instead, focus on nutrition. Eat plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables and moderate amounts of lean meats, chicken and fish. Two super foods are broccoli and cantaloupe. Both are very tasty and filling. Learn the calorie counts of your favorite foods, and eat more of your nutritious, low-calorie favorites and less of your favorite higher-calorie foods, but do not eliminate them completely.

Get regular exercise and maintain balance and moderation in your life; don't push yourself to extremes in behavior in the name of an ideal, especially the illusory ideal of "thinness." The anorexic, either consciously or subconsciously, is willing to sacrifice her (or his) life for this ideal by convincing themselves that the only way to stay slim is to avoid food. This decision will wreck your health and could prove fatal.

You can't live without food. Stay active, and let yourself enjoy what you eat, and, indeed, enjoy your life!

YOUR "BEST FRIEND" WILL DESTROY YOUR HEALTH

DR. WALLACE: No lectures on the evils of smoking — please. All I want is a scientific answer to my question. I'm 18 and enjoy smoking. A cigarette is my best friend. But I am concerned about the health risk. I'm considering switching brands and smoking the low-tar kind. How much safer are low-tar cigarettes than regular-tar cigarettes? - Tonya, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

TONYA: Low-tar is better than high-tar, but there is no such thing as a safe cigarette. Indeed, according to the American Lung Association, low-tar cigarettes often produce higher levels of harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide than do high-tar cigarettes. Another problem is that many smokers, in order to get the amount of nicotine they're used to, simply inhale low-tar cigarettes more deeply and more frequently. Or they just smoke more of them (and spend more money).

The only way to avoid the health problems associated with tobacco is to stop smoking. Oops! I started to preach. Well, you asked for it by writing to me.

NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS IN THE FUTURE

TEENS: Three cheers for the girls! According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more females than males are graduating from high school (89 vs. 86 percent) and more are entering college.

The impact of this will be felt in years to come, as more and more women begin filling positions traditionally held by men. And at long last, the old saying, "It's a man's world" will be null and void.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.