Q: I am a 52-year-old man blessed with good genes. I eat a healthy, balanced diet, get lots of exercise and have never had a weight problem. I understand that it is very difficult for many people to stick to a sensible diet.

What I cannot stand, however, is when people on these fad diets are so consumed with their diet of the month that they have nothing else to talk about. Going out to dinner with them is a nightmare; they torture servers with minuscule questions about every ingredient and ask for low-fat dressings, low-carb rolls, and talk about it all through dinner.

Can't they call ahead to the restaurant and spare the rest of us this tedium?

To me, there is no more boring conversation than a fat person on a diet telling me what he/she ate that day and how they don't understand why they can't lose weight when all they eat for an entire week is a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a few saltines.

And please, Advice Diva, when there's a pizza party in the office and they eat only the tops of the pizza slices, why can't they eat in another area, as what remains on their plates is revolting. And if a person on a high-fat/low-carb diet is offered some grapes, do they have to act like someone's trying to poison them?

I think if a person really wants to lose weight, he/she should consult their physician first to see if there is any medical reason to explain their weight problem. I believe that a balanced diet, involving all the basic food groups but low in fat and carbs, and high in fiber, like you say, is the right way, along with regular exercise.

A: How the Diva loves a person who doesn't hold back! Personally, we don't mind the server-interrogation part (we've been doing that for years) but totally agree on removing dieting — along with religion, politics and surgery details, even cosmetic — from the conversation topics.

Our pet peeve: When the obsessed dieter remarks on what we're eating with disdain, as in, "Do you know how many fat grams are in that gorgonzola dressing?" or, "They say that a baked potato with sour cream is one of the worst things people can eat." It makes us want to spit in their food when they're in the bathroom. Just kidding, of course. (Sort of.)

The Advice Diva welcomes your questions on relationships, family matters and modern etiquette. Questions may be e-mailed to advicedivaherald.com or sent to The Advice Diva, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, 5th floor, Miami, FL 33132.