Being married to or in a relationship with someone who has body image issues might strain your relationship. You may frequently seek methods to assist your partner. But realising that they may be struggling to appreciate their body is more essential than forcing them to eat well or exercise.

This can cause emotional upheaval, leading to mental health concerns in certain people. Know that your words of encouragement and love may be just what they need right now to learn to love themselves. As a result, you must not hesitate to reassure them of your support for some of these methods.

• Don’t nag them to work out

You must recognise that no matter how excellent your intentions are, you cannot persuade another person to adopt habits that you believe are beneficial for them. Putting them through an exercise when they aren’t ready might do them mental and bodily harm. If they refuse to exercise despite your nagging, the humiliation they feel may deepen, and they may begin to believe you are unhappy with them as a spouse.

• Encourage them throughout mealtimes

People who are self-conscious about their weight or body image concerns are generally hesitant to eat, especially in social situations. They may believe that their spouse or family will think they are overeating or undereating. As a result, you may need to be a bit gentler with them around meals or lunchtime, and make sure no one says anything hurtful to them.

• Don’t hold them responsible for their situation

It might take a long time for people to accept or even recognise that they have body image difficulties. As a result, assist them on their path and avoid blaming them for being overweight or anorexic. You must encourage them since they are still your spouse and maybe going through an internal battle. Ascertain that they do not feel guilty about their situation because they did not choose to have an eating issue.

• Recognise their limitations

Every person is in a different frame of mind and at a different stage in their recovery. As a result, your spouse may be denying their health problems or even disregarding their physical health in order to focus on their mental health.

Instead of encouraging them to talk about their problems, you should give them space and respect their limits.