DEAR DR. GOTT: Golf season will begin again in Indiana in a few short months. We only have two smokers in our group of 20, but every day when we choose up teams, it seems like one of the smokers shares a cart with me.

In a wide-open cart, how will the secondhand smoke effect me?

DEAR READER: Secondhand smoke usually dissipates within seconds in an out-of-doors environment, so I don't believe that the smokers in your golf group will affect your health. Still, it wouldn't hurt if you and your nonsmoking colleagues request that the smokers limit their consumption and smoke several feet away from the golf action.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Pulmonary Disease." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

DEAR DR. GOTT: Help! My ears are ringing and I assume it to be tinnitus. Is there anything I can try before seeking medication attention? It doesn't seem to be bothering my hearing.

DEAR READER: There is a nonprescription medication that was devised to treat tinnitus. It is called Lipo-Flavonoid. Although it does not work 100 percent of the time, it is certainly worth a try. If it isn't successful, see an ear-nose-and-throat specialist for testing and treatment.

DEAR DR. GOTT: I recently read your column for the first time, and I'm hooked. Your column is now the first thing I read. (Previously it was the obituaries.)

I have struggled with my weight forever. I've never been thin. At one time I was on my way to a "thinner me," but that was because I was working two full-time jobs and missed most meals. I couldn't keep up that pace, and one job was eliminated.

The problem I have is that I can't seem to stick to any diet for any length of time. I've read every diet article in magazines, looking for the thing that will be the key for me.

There are so many diets, low-carb, no-carb, low fat, etc. What do you suggest or recommend for people who struggle?

DEAR READER: Many of my readers have found success in losing weight by following my no-flour, no-sugar diet. (Books include "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet" and "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cook Book".) It is more of a lifestyle change, which makes it easier to stick with. You can even "cheat" occasionally, and once the weight is lost, the restrictions can be lessened. I believe you will have success on my diet, and I'm sending you a copy of my Health Report "A Strategy for Losing Weight: An Introduction to the No Flour, No Sugar Diet." Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Doctor Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet," available at most chain and independent bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook."