DEAR ABBY: I weigh 327 pounds. I'm 5 feet 11 inches tall, and I carry it better than most. I'm trying to diet to improve my health, but I crave sweets.
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I am employed as a receptionist. My desk is behind an L-shaped counter, which is eye level above my computer screen. My boss insists on putting a candy dish right above my computer monitor, directly in front of me. I have tried moving it to the ends of the counter, out of my range of vision, and I have tried placing it on the end tables in the reception area, but he moves it back again.
Abby, my boss is a small person. If he was a girl, he'd be called "petite." He doesn't battle weight like I do, nor does he seem to crave sweets the way I do. I sometimes work 10 or 12 hours a day, and it's torture. I have talked to him about it, and he just laughed. I need my job and can't afford to lose it. Do you have a clever way I can get the point across? -- CONSTANTLY TEMPTED IN CANTON, OHIO
DEAR TEMPTED: The real problem, however, isn't your boss; it is your compulsive eating. An organization that has been mentioned in my column before -- Overeaters Anonymous -- could give you support and help for the problem. Over the years it has helped thousands of men and women overcome the compulsion to binge. There are more than 8,000 OA chapters in 58 countries, and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively. There are chapters in almost every city, but if you have difficulty locating one, log on to www.overeatersanonymous.org, or send a long SASE to OA World Service Office, P.O. Box 44020, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4020. They will help you regain control.
It appears your "little" boss has a sadistic sense of humor. On lunch breaks and your other break time, get out of the office and walk. Also, use NOT touching the candy as a way of showing the man who's boss.