DR. WALLACE: I'm a 17-year-old girl and one of my best friends recently lost a lot of weight. When I asked her secret, she told me that she bought some diet pills from her cousins who live in the next state over from us.

My friend did have quite a few pounds to lose, but in my situation I only have perhaps eight or 10 pounds to lose to hit my ideal weight.

Do you think I should ask her for her cousin's phone number so I can text this cousin to inquire about getting some of these magic diet pills? I don't know and have never met my friend's cousin, but apparently these pills really do the job! — Could Stand to Lose a Few, via email

COULD STAND TO LOSE A FEW: Absolutely not! Texting another individual that you have never met in person across the state line to request pills of an unknown origin is a recipe for disaster in today's world.

It is extremely unwise and unsafe to request any pills of any type to be mailed to your home. If you wish to lose a few pounds, I suggest that you eat a bit better and take in a few less calories and then simultaneously commence or enhance an existing workout program to increase your weekly calorie burning.

If you wish to take any supplement at all, be sure it is approved for over-the-counter sales in a national pharmacy or grocery chain or seek the advice of your medical professional. These are the only safe ways to proceed taking any new substance.

The scourge and prevalence of fentanyl in today's world demands that you stay on guard to protect your health and wellness. And my advice goes beyond trusting so-called diet pills; never take any unknown pill from any friend ever. Do your own direct sourcing of any substance you put in your body. This is the only way you can know for sure what you are putting into your body. Follow this rule and you'll greatly enhance your odds to stay healthy and safe.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE OUR FAMILY BREAK UP

DR. WALLACE: I'm an only child who is 14, and my parents for a long time seemed to be completely normal and reasonable. In fact, our family was quite stable for the first 12 and a half years of my life.

But for the past year and half, my parents have been extremely mad at each other. They argue, they bicker, they fight and at times they go out of their way to not even speak to each other. Sometimes when this happens, one or both will tell me to say something to the other parent. It makes me feel like I'm a messenger in the middle of two countries at war. This makes me feel extremely uncomfortable on many levels.

I hope I didn't cause any of the friction between my parents, and I'd do almost anything to have them calm down and get along well like they used to.

What suggestions do you have, if any, for this type of situation? I love both of my parents and I'm worried they might break up our family. — A Worried Only Child, via email

A WORRIED ONLY CHILD: It is indeed sad to hear that your home life has spiraled into a very poor current mode. Sadly, sometimes when parents are dealing with their own frustrations, sadness and happiness, they don't have the peripheral vision to notice what it does to their offspring.

No child should be put in the position of being a messenger between two arguing, obstinate parents. If and when this ever happens again, tell the parent that makes this request that you love him or her, but that you don't want to be in the middle of such animosity. Look your parent in the eye and ask for a truce and the resumption of civilized direct communications within your home. Sometimes the realization of the impact on their children will cause parents to dial down the tensions in the family home.

Also always know and keep in mind that you are in no way responsible for the problems your parents are going through. Adults often have complicated relationships on a variety of levels, so their tension and disagreements are likely about issues you may not even be aware of.

Finally, tell your parents at an opportune moment that you truly hope your family can remain intact and that you will do everything in your power to make this happen. Mention that you'll continue to follow all household rules and that you'll continue to study hard to achieve good grades. Having you say this in front of both of them might provide them each a much-needed wake-up call.

If your parents continue to struggle, they may benefit from counseling at some point. You can do some research online about what services exist in your area should it ever be appropriate for you to give the information to your parents.

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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