DR. WALLACE: Becky has been my best friend since we were in the first grade, and we are now both 14. We are very close and share all of our secrets. About a month ago, Becky started dating for the first time. She told me that she met Ken at a skating rink and fell madly in love with him. He is 16, and they have gone out with each other about six times.

I have never met Ken, but Becky says that he drinks beer and smokes pot. That's not all! She said that she, too, has had a beer and tried pot on several occasions. When she told me all this, I was shocked. Before she met Ken, Becky was a very straight kid — even a "goody-goody." Now I'm really worried about my friend, but I don't want to nag her because nagging usually doesn't work. What should I do? —Suzanne, Baltimore, Md.

SUZANNE: I agree that you shouldn't nag, but you also shouldn't remain silent. Tell her firmly one time that you are disappointed at her recent behavior and encourage her to stop experimenting with alcohol and drugs immediately. Remind her that drug and alcohol use at age 14 is against the law. She also needs to know that alcohol and drugs could become addictive and can cause health problems as well.

If she doesn't take your advice and wants to bring you up-to-date regarding her alcohol and drug consumption, refuse to listen. Continue to be a friend to her because she needs your steady and positive influence, but don't limit your friendship to just Becky. Branch out and find friends who share your anti-drug and alcohol philosophy.

MY SISTER CALLED ME A BLIMP

DR. WALLACE: I protest your answer to a 13-year-old boy who weighs more than 230 pounds. He hit his younger sister because during a disagreement between the two, the brother hit the sister and made her cry because she called him a "fat rump." You told him that he was a bully and should lose weight.

I'm a 13-year-old girl and I walloped my 10-year-old sister and made her cry because she made the mistake of calling me a "blimp" even though I am overweight. And guess what? My sister got a whipping for calling me a name, and I wasn't punished. —Mary, Del Rio, Tex.

MARY: Your sister was cruel when she called you a name and deserved to be punished, but you also should have been punished. Both name-calling and "walloping" are forms of bullying, and both are hurtful. And unless you have a medical condition, you should get on a nutritious, well-balanced diet and lose those extra pounds you are toting around.

GRANDMOTHERS ARE CORRECT MOST TIMES

DR. WALLACE: I am very weight-conscious and want to maintain my present weight of 117. I used to weigh 127, so I've done well to trim down. I eat nutritious foods, but I also count calories. My grandmother said that lettuce and celery are foods that have minus calories. Is this true? Actually, I don't see how it could be. All foods have calories. —Katie, Ames, Iowa

KATIE: Certain vegetables, such as celery, spinach, lettuce and cucumbers, are very low in calories and you probably will burn up more calories just chewing and digesting these high-water content vegetables than they actually contain. So, Grandmother is basically correct. But that's not unusual. Grandmothers are correct most of the time.

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.