DR. WALLACE: I'm a 17-year-old girl and I have a tendency to gain weight so I am constantly looking for ways to stay slim and healthy. I drink low-fat milk and eat low-fat cheese. I count calories, but still it's a struggle. My parents are both very heavy, so I guess I'll always be struggling with my weight.

I read somewhere that slow eaters don't gain as much weight as fast eaters. If this is true, I'll slow down. I'm always hungry and I literally inhale my food. — Sherry, Cumberland, Md.

SHERRY: It's true that slow eaters generally don't gain as much weight as fast eaters. If takes the stomach about 20 minutes to tell the brain that it's full. Just think how much food you can cram down in those 20 minutes!

SELECT A POOCH FROM AN ANIMAL SHELTER

DR. WALLACE: For my 12th birthday my parents said I could have a pet. My dad wants to buy me a purebred cocker spaniel because I like cocker spaniels. My friend's mother told me I should check with the animal shelter because they have a lot of dogs that I might like and that would love to live with me at my home. Do you think animal shelters have any cocker spaniels? — Abby, Toledo, Ohio

ABBY: I'm a real lover of animals of all shapes and sizes, and especially those in animal shelters! You will find almost all breeds, maybe even the cutest mixed-breed cocker spaniel in all of Toledo. Dad will be happy, too, because when you select a pooch from the shelter, the money he saves can be put to good use caring for "Daisy."

YOU WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL SWAN

DR. WALLACE: I'm 14 and a very good student. I think I have a good personality and I'm not shy. I should be very popular at school, but that's not the case. In fact, I'm considered a loser. I wear braces on my teeth, don't have the clearest of complexions, weigh more than I should, and used to wear glasses (though I now wear contact lenses). My braces will come off in three months, and my grandmother will soon be paying for my visits to a dermatologist. I'm also on a healthy diet and exercise program and hope to have a new wardrobe in a smaller size in the near future.

I am really hoping all this will change my physical image by the end of summer so I can be the new me when school starts in September. My concern is that I'm considered an "ugly duckling" now and I'm worried the label will stick to me even if I make improvements. Is there anything else I can do to change my image and my classmates' perception of me? — Nameless, Denver, Colo.

NAMELESS: Stick to your plan! You've got a great deal going for you, and by the time you unveil the "new you," you'll have even more. Yes, there are a few jerks in any student body who take it on as their personal mission to single out others for ridicule, and they may keep up the cowardly taunting no matter what you do. Ignore these creeps. Most of your classmates will be far kinder. Indeed, most of them are probably on your side now.

If you need some inspiration, how about movie star Julia Roberts? When she was in high school, she (like you) considered herself an "ugly duckling." We all know, of course, that she grew up to be a beautiful swan! So will you.

Congratulations on making this difficult commitment. The results will be well worth the effort!

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. E-mail 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.

Photo credit: Berit Watkin