DEAR ABBY: My brother thinks I eat too slow, and I think he eats too fast. He claims it's rude to eat slow and make others wait for you. I say eating slowly is healthy, and it's better than wolfing down your food to keep up with the people you're with. Who's right? -- AT MY OWN PACE IN EDDINGTON, MAINE
DEAR AT YOUR OWN PACE: You're both right. If you eat so slowly that the rest of the people at your table must wait for you to finish, ask them to proceed with their dessert and coffee so they won't have to sit there and watch you masticate. And wolfing down one's food causes some people to overeat, which is why weight-loss specialists advise against it.