DR. WALLACE: I'm one of three boys in a single parent household. I also have one sister and we all live with our mother. My brothers and I have huge appetites and we eat a lot of food since we all play various high school sports.

I would say that my sister has a normal appetite for a girl, but my mother will never let her take second portions at any of our family dinners! Mom says that since we boys are playing sports, we're allowed to eat all that we want as we burn it off fast, but that if our sister eats second portions of various foods, she'll put on too much weight and that's not good for a teenage girl.

My brothers and I feel bad about this and occasionally we will sneak a little bit of my sister's favorite foods to her, but we must be very careful and it's actually pretty hard to do.

My question is: Do you think my mother is correct with her assessment? My brothers and I feel that our sister should be allowed to eat whatever she wants the same way we are allowed to. Do you agree with us or with our mom? Does it really matter how much she eats? She's not overweight now and even though she does not play team sports, she's pretty active via hiking and swimming in the summers with her friends. — Her Concerned Older Brother, via email

HER CONCERNED OLDER BROTHER: I completely agree with your perspective, not your mother's. Not being allowed to partake in modest extra portions at your family dinners amounts to a punishment that is being delivered to your sister.

Not only is she not allowed to eat a bit more of her favorite foods, but she must endure watching you and your brothers pack away as much food as you would like right in front of her.

Please show this question of yours and my answer to your mother. Perhaps this might change her perspective, and furthermore, tell her that I recommend she have a talk with a school nurse or counselor to get a second opinion on her viewpoint. I'm equally concerned about the mental impact on your sister as I am about the fact she is denied the calories of a little extra of her favorite foods at your family dinners.

I'm sure your mother is a wonderful person and a good provider for her children, but nobody is perfect and perhaps she can be persuaded to adjust her position on this one issue.

YOU'RE A 'BROKEN RECORD' ON THIS TOPIC

DR. WALLACE: You really seem to always be down on alcohol. I understand that underage teenagers should not be consuming alcohol, but what about responsible adults who simply have a glass of red wine with their meal occasionally?

I don't think I ever read one of your columns that was accepting of anyone, anywhere ever drinking one single drop of alcohol! You are the definition of a "broken record" when it comes to this topic. — I Enjoy a Glass With My Saturday Dinner, via email

I ENJOY A GLASS WITH MY SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER: Indeed, there are people like you who can drink responsibly and who may enjoy an alcoholic beverage intermittently because you enjoy the taste and like to relax slightly after a long day or perhaps a long workweek.

But over decades writing a teen-focused column, the subject of alcohol, when it comes up in real-life situations that we discuss here, virtually has a 100% negative factor in something that has occurred.

In addition, alcohol can be highly addictive for some individuals and has ruined the lives of many drinkers and their families. Too often I have read and heard stories about teen drivers behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol who have destroyed lives around them and sometimes their own as well.

Given that the primary subject matter of this column is teenagers, I'll continue to encourage all teenagers to avoid all forms of alcohol.

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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