DR. WALLACE: Like a lot of teenage girls, I'm struggling to maintain a proper weight. Yes, I know I should have a nourishing, well-balanced diet, chock full of fruits and veggies, but I usually miss the mark. My problem is that I love all the so-called "junk" foods, and I eat far too many French fries (piping hot with plenty of salt). And I also have a sweet tooth and love brownies and cookies.

I've been thinking of fasting for a week or so when I want to get slim. Of course, I would drink a lot of water to help flush away my extra fat. Your comments, please. — Daphne, Ft. Myers, Fla.

DAPHNE: Lengthy fasting is simply not a good idea for most people, especially teens. Fasting will reduce body weight, but also involves a loss of muscle tissue along with fat. This could be dangerous, especially during adolescence, when the body is undergoing rapid growth spurts and should be adding lean tissue. Also, there is medical evidence that fasting could produce a loss of bone tissue that could stunt normal growth.

You know the answer to maintain proper weight: "a nourishing, well-balanced diet, chock full of fruits and veggies" and daily exercise. It takes dedication and determination to maintain a proper diet. There is no effective shortcut.

TEACHERS SHOULD NOT DATE THEIR STUDENTS

DR. WALLACE: You told a high school girl to tell the school principal that a male teacher asked her for a date. I think this was a stupid answer. She was 17 or 18, so she is no longer considered a girl; she's a young woman. Teachers have the right to date anyone they choose.

What if the guy had been a 22-year-old mechanic and the girl an 18-year-old senior? Would you have told the girl to complain to the owner of the repair shop? Of course not! Wake up, Dr. Wallace! — Nameless, Knoxville, Ill.

NAMELESS: Your analogy isn't the least bit comparable. A teacher is in an extraordinarily sensitive and influential position in relation to his or her students. High school teachers have no business asking their students to go out with them. It's unethical, unprofessional and just plain wrong. Teachers who cross this line should be dismissed.

Students attend school for only one reason: to receive a quality education while monitored by dedicated, well-trained and professional teachers. Nothing more; nothing less!

SPARKLING WATER IS AN EXCELLENT SUBSTITUTE

DR. WALLACE: My mother and her second-husband-to-be are both recovering alcoholics. I'm going to be the best man at their wedding and therefore will toast the couple. There will be no alcohol at the wedding, so I won't be toasting with Champagne. Would ice water be an acceptable substitute? — Son, Reno, Nev.

SON: Water would be an excellent substitute, but make it sparkling water!

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.

Photo credit: Cameron Nordholm