DR. WALLACE: I cringed when you reported that cheerleaders, song leaders and even athletes are susceptible to eating disorders. Excuse me! Why are you separating cheerleaders and song leaders from athletes? Shame on you!

Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines "athlete" as "one trained to compete in contests involving physical agility, stamina or strength."

Cheerleaders and song leaders meet all of these requirements and then some. As someone who has been a cheerleader for four years, I believe I speak from experience, and for the cheerleading/dance community as a whole, when I say that these kinds of athletes put in just as much hard work and long hours of practice as other athletes.

The debate about whether or not cheerleading is a sport has raged for years. More and more people have begun to realize the skill and dedication necessary to succeed in this field. I find it detrimental to this improved image and a setback to the progress made when prominent persons such as you segregate cheerleaders and song leaders from "athletes." Please reconsider your comment. All athletes need your support. — Rosie, Laredo, Tex.

ROSIE: Excuse me! I'm sorry I offended you and other cheerleaders, song leaders, and dance teams who support sports teams. As a former varsity high school basketball coach in Kirkland, Illinois, Phoenix, Arizona, and Garden Grove, California, I learned to appreciate the athletic talents of our cheerleaders and dance team members.

Please forgive me. I won't make that mistake again.

GET RID OF HIM AND DON'T LOOK BACK

DR. WALLACE: Sometimes my boyfriend tells me he loves me and can't live without me, but other times when we are together he calls me names like stupid idiot, brainless or moron and the other day he threatened to "send me to the moon" although he has never physically abused me. I do like him, but I'm tired of his hateful attitude. He told me he was going to stop this kind of behavior and be "a good boy" but it hasn't happened yet. I'm wondering if it ever will. I hope he will make a change soon because he's a cute guy and I know a lot of girls would love to go out with him.

I'm confused at the moment, but I still would like to date him. What do you think I should do? — Nameless, Reno, Nev.

NAMELESS: This guy hasn't physically abused you yet, but he is throwing a lot of emotional abuse your way. I would suggest you forget about his good looks and get rid of him immediately, if not sooner. It doesn't matter if other girls would love to go out with him because he's a loser and they will find out the same way you did.

TEENS USE ALCOHOL OVER DRUGS

DR. WALLACE: What's the more serious teen problem, alcohol or drugs? I'm doing a term paper and I need all the help I can get. If I get an A on this paper it will earn me nothing less than a B in this class, so I'll be forever grateful if you can help me. I'm usually a C student, but I've been working very hard this semester so an A or B in this class will be very handy. — Bob, Tulsa, Okla.

BOB: The publication Careers and Colleges conducted a poll of 11th and 12th graders attending both public and private high schools across the U.S. on the use of drugs and alcohol. The results: 88 percent felt alcohol abuse was a problem among students who attend their schools, while 78 percent said their peers actually used drugs. Interestingly, 82 percent of the teens surveyed said students can easily obtain drugs in their communities while 80 percent said minors can easily get alcohol.

Write to me when you finish your paper. I'd be interested in what you found out.

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 and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.