DR. WALLACE: I'm a girl who is 14 years old, and in class at school I sit next to a new girl who recently moved to our area a few months ago. She's nice enough, and I've talked to her a lot and we are friends now even though she's still new here. I of course also have a few other good friends at my school who I've known for many years. She told me that her family moved from the other side of the country, over 2,000 miles from here.

This new girl does something quite strange that I've noticed. She seems to try to make friends with every other girl she possibly can! She then tells me sometimes how many friends she has at our school, and she even made a comment that she thinks that she has more friends than I do! This is likely untrue, and I don't feel like having a few friends or a lot of "new acquaintance" friends should be some sort of competition, but she sure seems to think it's important. And on top of that, she's quite talkative about this subject every single day.

Lately, I've been thinking that I'd tell her that I'm happy that she has a lot of new friends, but that her situation does not compare to mine as I have four really great longtime friends that I love and trust so much. Her new acquaintances obviously don't compare to the friendships I've established over a long time. I kind of want to tell her this to get her to stop bragging about how many "friends" she has now at our school. — There's No Comparison, via email

THERE'S NO COMPARISON: I suggest you hold off making any comments to her about the deep and long-standing friendships you have versus the seemingly long list of new friends she's touting to you. The reason I say this is that she's likely a bit insecure after finding herself in a new school, starting out with no friends and no acquaintances either. Put yourself for a minute into her situation and I think you'll see my point.

What if the situation was reversed? If your family moved 2,000 miles across the country in the middle of a school year, you'd also find yourself with no local friends or acquaintances. Therefore, I feel much of her talk about having so many new friends is perhaps a defense mechanism that she may be consciously or even subconsciously using to help her cope with being a new girl at a new school full of strangers. It's likely that over time she will settle in and feel more comfortable, and her friendship quest and the talk about it will level off as she feels more comfortable.

Rather than point out (quite correctly) that you have a set of much deeper current friendships at your school, instead congratulate her on meeting so many new people! Resist the urge to compare and have a bit of compassion for what she's going through. You're already one of her friends, and you can likely guide her and help her to feel more comfortable at your school and in your community over time. For now, let her exuberant talk of so many friends be the good sign that it is as she's trying to meet people and fit in.

WHY DO I SWEAT SO MUCH?

DR. WALLACE: I sweat too much! If I work out, I'll be dripping in sweat by the time I'm done. And if it's hot outside, my armpits will become super soakers in short order.

But what really gets me uncomfortable is the fact that my palms are sweating almost all of the time, even like now in wintertime. What is up with this? Why am I so sweaty when my older brother is almost always dry as bone? I feel biologically shortchanged. — Always Sweating It, via email

ALWAYS SWEATING IT: Your condition is called hyperhidrosis and is actually not uncommon. Yes, it may be embarrassing to you at times, but it's your body's way of cooling you down.

Each individual has his or her own unique body chemistry, and for some people, sweat can appear even without exercising or physical exertion.

I recommend seeing your family doctor for an evaluation and to be checked for any potential underlying conditions that might exist in your case. If there is indeed a specific cause, there may also be some sort of treatment or treatments available to counteract the condition. But keep in mind this would only apply to a small percentage of those who sweat more than they'd like to.

But for most people, excessive sweating does not indicate an underlying disease or illness. The best course of action for you to take is to talk to your family physician, and if needed, follow up with a dermatologist or even a psychologist so that you can help yourself to both understand more about how to live with your condition and to help you create lifestyle strategies to minimize it where and when it's possible to do so. I encourage you to strive to understand and manage your condition to the best level possible, as it's well worth the time it will take you to follow up on these suggestions.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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.

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