DEAR HARRIETTE: My grandfather has had multiple wives throughout his life. His most recent marriage produced a son who is 10 years younger than I am, leaving me with a 13-year-old uncle. I do not have a close relationship with him, so he is practically a stranger to me. I recently saw him for the first time in three years and was shocked by his appearance. He was severely overweight and lacked some basic social cues. Since my grandfather is in his mid-80s, I understand that he does not have the energy to constantly watch over my little uncle, but it is scary to see such a young kid dealing with these problems. Since I do not have that much of a relationship with him, I do not know what I can do to help him with his weight and social skills. How should I approach this situation? -- Looking Out for Family, Cincinnati
DEAR LOOKING OUT FOR FAMILY: If you can, invite him to spend some time with you this summer -- it would be great if you could welcome him to stay with you for a week or more so the two of you can hang out and get to know each other. Over the course of your time together, cook meals for him and invite him to learn to cook with you. You can do light exercise, such as walking in a park. You can ease your uncle into your personal patterns, even if you have to tailor them to be less rigorous. Generally speaking, people do not like to hear others ridicule them about anything, especially their weight. If you can lead by example and show your uncle a healthier lifestyle that is complete with solid social skills, you may be able to inspire him to learn more.