DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and need your advice. I dated a guy for four years and out of the clear blue sky he told me that he wanted to break up. That was a year ago. He is 21 and is currently dating a 16-year-old girl.

What confuses me is that he still says he loves me and would do anything for me. He calls me once a week or so and we talk for over an hour at a time. I still like this guy and I can't seem to forget him.

What should I do? I know he is not using me. — Nameless, Jackson, Miss.

NAMELESS: I can see why you're confused; he obviously is, too. He may not be using you, but he's obviously clinging to you as he pursues his relationship with a 16-year-old. If she doesn't work out, he still has a fallback — you.

This guy is not for you. Since he deserted you after a four-year relationship, what makes you think he will return and be a faithful guy? You won't appreciate my advice, but you will have a more enjoyable life if you take it. Suspend all contact with this guy and get on with your life. This guy appears to be a loser.

CLEAN PLATE CLUB SHOULD BE DISBANDED

DR. WALLACE: I'm 12 and an only child. I have parents who are very strict and they have given me about two dozen rules that I must live by. The one that bugs me the most is the "You must eat everything on your plate" rule.

Sometimes I'm just not very hungry, so I don't want to stuff myself just to satisfy a rule I don't even agree with. Sometimes I don't like the taste of a "gourmet" food my mother spent hours preparing. Sometimes I have an upset stomach. But the reason why I choose not to clean my plate makes no difference to my parents.

My mother always puts the food on my plate, so I don't have the opportunity to occasionally take smaller portions. I'm tired of hearing, "You're a lucky boy. A lot of children your age have to go to bed hungry."

I told my parents that I was going to write to you for your opinion about having to clean my plate all the time. They said they were positive you would agree with them, but if you didn't, they still wouldn't change the rule, so no matter what your response is I'm not going to win. But I'd like to know your opinion anyway. - Jacob, New York City, N.Y.

JACOB: I'm on your side. The "clean plate club" should be disbanded. Forcing children to eat more than they want is a bad policy, especially if, as in your case, they don't even get to choose the portion. Teens should try the food Mom or Dad prepares, but should be allowed to make substitutions when they don't like it. And force-feeding children high-calorie foods is a recipe for weight gain.

Finally, cleaning your plate does nothing whatsoever to help the children around the world who go to bed hungry. If that's an issue for you or your parents, I recommend making a cash contribution to a local food pantry or reputable national or international organization that fights hunger, of which there are many. Better yet, you could volunteer at one.

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.