DR. WALLACE: I'm not very popular at my school. First of all, I don't fit the standard for being very attractive, as I'm a bit overweight and I have a poor complexion. The good news is that I'm an excellent student. Even though I'm 16, I have never had a date, and I don't see myself getting one for a long time.

I do have one girlfriend that I've been friendly with in the past; she's semipopular and has had a few boyfriends. I talk with her at school, and we see each other once in a while after school. But lately, my friend has been treating me like an enemy rather than a friend. She's now calling me "pizza face," "heavyweight" and "nerd" when she talks to me. She keeps telling me that I will be an "old maid" all of my life because no guy would ever want to get close to me.

Every time I've talked with her in the last month, I come away feeling really depressed. I feel like telling her to get lost, but she is the only "friend" that I have. At least she is better than no friend at all, right? What should I do now? My mother doesn't like her and just keeps telling me to stop talking to her. —Anonymous, via email

ANONYMOUS: Sadly, this girl's own insecurities are causing her to turn on you. The nasty names she calls you reflect how she really feels about herself. Believe me, your mother is right. With "friends" like this, who needs enemies? It's time for you and this mean girl to part ways before she undermines your confidence and self-esteem completely.

You can turn both your social life and your self-image around. You need only resolve to do so — coupled with congruent actions. Step one is to celebrate your strengths. You are an excellent student. Congratulations! You fully deserve to be very proud of yourself in this department. I'm sure that you study hard, pay attention in class and put forth great efforts to achieve the excellent grades you've received.

Next, be aware that your complexion can be improved. Have your parents set up an appointment with a dermatologist for a consultation. At the same time, you can embark on a program of moderate exercise and sensible eating to begin eliminating some of the excess weight. With proactive thoughts and actions on these two steps, your self-image will begin to improve immensely — and pretty quickly, too.

Now let's work on those feelings of isolation and friendlessness. There's only one way to start making friends, and that's to get involved! It doesn't matter what you choose, but school activities are readily available and waiting for your participation. Go to school sporting events, and perhaps see if you can sit next to another young lady at your school who you know is also an excellent student. Ask her a question about one of the topics you are studying. In this type of relaxed environment, you have the best chance to make a friendly connection with a fellow student. You can also volunteer to help with the yearbook or school newspaper. Joining an academic club or two that coincides with your interests is ideal because you're likely meet kids of both genders who have similar interests as you.

With a few small steps, you can make huge improvements on your self-esteem. Talk over these ideas with your mother, and tell her you agree your current "friend" is not worth holding onto. Keep your eyes open to every opportunity to achieve self-improvement and engage in social interactions. If you apply similar efforts to these two areas as you do to your academics, I trust you will be making excellent progress very soon.

THE THRILL OF THE HUNT

DR. WALLACE: My dad and I are avid deer hunters. During deer hunting season, we usually get our limit. We think it is a great sport. We eat the meat, and the hunting keeps the deer population in control. It also helps prevent deer/auto collisions in our area. My mom doesn't like that Dad and I hunt. She says we have sufficient beef and pork at the store, and she doesn't eat deer. What she doesn't understand is that hunters (mostly males) enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Since you are pro-sports, does your support include hunting? — Deer Hunter, via email

DEER HUNTER: Hunting is considered to be a sport, but it wouldn't be so one-sided of a game if the other side could return fire. I have hunted several times with my family, but the only shooting I did was with a camera. I am not a member of the hunting fraternity, but I respect the right of hunters to do their thing, as long as they follow all laws and regulations.

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.