Q:  I've been dieting for nearly a year and I've only lost three pounds.  I'm getting discouraged.  What should I do?

A:  What you should do is gain some perspective.  What difference does a few pounds make in the grand scheme of things?  Consider our  planet.  Earth weighs trillions and trillions of tons, and the Sun, the most potent force in our solar system, is millions of times heavier.  Are you more important than they are?  Of course not!  So why do you even own a device which measures weights in something as infinitesimal as a pound?  Does your watch measure time in zillionths of a second?  Does your kitchen have measuring cups for adding a tenth of a grain of flour?  In my opinion, anything less than a billion tons is "one."  So yeah, if you weigh more than "one," you should probably go on a diet.

Q:  How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A:  Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one.  If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q:  I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.  Is this true?

A:  How could that be true?  Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it.  Everything wears out eventually, so how could speeding up your heart make you live longer?  That's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it more.  Want to live longer?  Take a nap.

Q:  My wife says I should cut down on meat, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

A:  Your wife just doesn't grasp logistical efficiencies the way you do.  Look, what does a cow eat?  Corn.  And what's corn?  A vegetable.  So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system.  Need grain?  Eat chicken.  Beef is also a good source of field grass.  And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of slop.

Q:  Is beer bad for you?

A:  I normally don't like to answer questions which deal with my religious values, but I find this question so anathema I simply have to say something.  Look, it goes to the earlier point about vegetables.  As we all know, scientists divide everything in the world into three categories: animal, mineral, and vegetable.  Well, we all know that beer is not an animal, and it's not on the periodic table of elements, so that only leaves one thing, right?  My advice:  Have a burger and a beer and tell everyone you're on a vegetarian diet.

Q:  What is my "skin age?"

A:  Well, how old are you?

Q:  I'm 38 years old.

A:  Well, I'd say your skin is at least that old, wouldn't you?

Q:  At the gym, a guy asked me to "spot" for him while he did the bench press.  What did he mean?

A:  "Spotting" for someone means you stand over him while he blows air up your shorts.  It's an accepted practice at health clubs, though if you find that it becomes the ONLY reason why you're going in, you probably ought to reevaluate your exercise program.

Q:  What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A:  Can't think of a single one, sorry.

Q:  I'm getting a little soft around the middle.  Will sit-ups help this?

A:  Definitely not!  Look, when you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger, right?  You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q:  I thought it would be good for me to carry my clubs when I play golf, but last weekend some idiot almost ran over me with the golf cart!

A:  Uh, sorry, I was reaching into my cooler and didn't see you.

Q:  There's a lot of equipment available at the gym today, like the treadmill, the stair-stepper, etc.  Which one do you recommend?

A:  The strato-lounger.

Be sure to watch this column for additional installments of Bruce the Answer Man!