Life relationships

A woman’s ‘90% perfect boyfriend’ keeps telling her to lose weight and the internet spoke as one

Poke Staff. Updated February 27th, 2024

Relationship dilemma of the week (well, not really a dilemma at all, it turned out) was this woman who wrote to Vogue’s Eva Wiseman for advice about her ‘90% perfect boyfriend’ who keeps telling her to lose weight.

Here’s the question in full (and you can read for yourself here).

Dear Eva,

I’m in a relationship that is about 90 per cent perfect. We’ve been seeing each other for a year and a half, living together for three months.

Since moving in together, he’s developed a habit that’s started to bother me. I’m a size eight to 10 – slim by anyone’s standards – but he will regularly suggest improvements I could make to my body, such as exercises to lift my bum, or slim my upper arms.

It was his idea for me to adapt my diet recently, giving up bread and sugar to avoid bloating. At first I appreciated his concern, as it seemed like he cared about my health, but recently it’s started to make me feel really bad about myself, as he’s made it clear he only finds me attractive when I am thinner.

A couple of times he’s said how I’d benefit from a chin tuck. We are talking about having a baby, but I worry he will be disgusted by the way my body will change. Why is he staying with me if he doesn’t fancy me?

And in an uncertain and divisive world, it’s good to know there are certain things around which we can all come together.

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And if you like it particularly straight talking …

You can read how Eva replied here (here’s just how it starts).

And finally …

Source @EvaWiseman Vogue Image Pixabay