Harriette Cole: I can smell my neighbors from outside their apartment

DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbors are from another country, and honestly I think they have the worst body odor ever.

Their house isn’t dirty; I think it must just be what they eat. All I know is that the smell seeps into the hallway and makes me gag.

There’s nothing I can say about it, but is there anything I can do?

We live in an apartment building, so we are physically close to each other. I feel sick every time I walk past their door.

— Bad Body Odor

DEAR BAD BODY ODOR: What people eat can impact how they smell. Think about how your breath smells after you eat onions. Then amplify that based on a steady diet of some kind of pungent food.

You are right that you cannot ask them to do something to make a difference.

You can use incense, candles or room fragrance in your own apartment to cover it with a scent that you prefer. If there is a table or surface in the hallway of your building where you can put scented reeds, try that. There’s no risk of fire, but it will alter the scent of the space.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, one of your readers, “Health-Conscious,” asked how to inspire diabetes-prone family members to begin better health practices.

According to medical statistics, however, diabetics are the second-least compliant patients a doctor sees. That means that even when diagnosed, diabetics are among the least likely patients to follow medical advice and protocols or use medication. (The No. 1 least-compliant patients are those with COPD.)

I know of at least one patient who ignored his symptoms until one leg was necrotic and had to be amputated above the knee. Due to continued noncompliance and complications, he spent 13 months in the hospital, required three more surgeries, contracted pneumonia and has accumulated approximately $2.5 million in hospital bills. He has major organ involvement and is disabled for the remainder of his life.

This man keeps ignoring consequences, and his partner suspects that when he’s able to make trips on his scooter around the neighborhood, he stops at coffee shops and eats sweets “on the sly.”

While the letter-writer is well-meaning and probably afraid for their relatives, there’s little that can be done other than point out the risks and be a good role model. I also come from a high-risk family and have maintained a healthy lifestyle for 75 years without incident.

I wish everyone in this situation the best, but realize that trying to change a diabetic is basically impossible; they need to do it themselves, and all one can do is offer support if they do.

— Reality Check

DEAR REALITY CHECK: Thank you for this sobering reminder to families and those who are living with diabetes.

As I researched further on how caregivers can protect themselves and their loved ones, I noticed the insights are slim. Here are a few pointers that suggest you stay practical as you love them and tend to yourself: medtronicdiabetes.com/family-and-children/tips-for-caregivers.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.