DR. WALLACE: I'd really like your opinion. I am 5-feet-5, and weigh 103 pounds. I'd like to get down to double digits (99 pounds), but my friends and family think I am already too thin and need to gain four pounds instead of losing four pounds. My best friend says that I'm anorexic. Even though I don't eat breakfast, I try to eat a light lunch and a balanced dinner.

Please tell my friend that I'm not anorexic because anorexics do not eat well-balanced meals. I'm just on a diet. — Nameless, Cumberland, Md.

NAMELESS: Your letter worries me. I don't know if you are anorexic — it's not my place to make a diagnosis. However, something is clearly going on with you regarding food and your weight, and it contains many of the warning signs of an eating disorder.

Why do you want to weigh only 99 pounds? Even though you're extremely thin, do you feel that you weigh too much? I urge you to discuss your eating patterns with your parents and ask them to make an appointment for you with your family doctor, or a health professional that specializes in weight issues. You need some sound advice about nutrition and health. I fear that you're pushing yourself in the wrong direction.

I've been told by several dietitians that a well-balanced, nutritious breakfast is the most important meal for maintaining good health and should not be skipped!

THE PERSON WHO INVITES PAYS

DR. WALLACE: I'm a regular reader of your column and I generally agree with your advice. However I disagreed with one of your recent answers. You told a girl who invited a boy to a formal dance that she should pay for all expenses except for clothing the boy might have to rent.

I totally believe that the boy should always pay for a date, regardless of who does the asking. It's usually the boys who get part-time jobs, and we all know that girls don't usually get paid the same for equal work, so the boys can usually afford to pay. — Nameless, Lake Charles, La.

NAMELESS: Nice try, but I'm holding to my answer. The person who does the inviting does the paying, unless an agreement is made ahead of time where each party pays for his or her own expenses.

The good news is that the salary for females has risen dramatically for "equal pay for equal work" when both males and females have the same job. That's the way it should always have been!

I'VE HEARD "HORROR" STORIES

DR. WALLACE: My son enjoys camping and outdoor activities and he would like to be a cub scout, especially since his best friend is also interested in joining the scouts.

I'm just a bit dubious about allowing him to join because of the "horror" stories I have read about male sexual predators in boys' clubs, YMCA, and scout groups and it really worries me. What do you think I should do? — Mom, Vicksburg, Miss.

MOM: Scouting is a wonderful experience, but before you let your son join, have a discussion with him to explain the possibilities that could happen. Be absolutely sure that he knows what he should do in case any problem should arise.

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