Freewill - if you lived closer you would find out that I can drive people nuts with my need to fix them - I, among other things, am a fixer. I view it as my personal mission to fix the things that my friends say are broken in their lives. Don't eat and lose weigh in front of me and you will see me daily bearing fresh broth, soup, and any goodie that might tempt my friend to eat. Have a cold, be sick, more soup and vitamins and grape juice. Unfortunately most of my friends think I am over the top. And they will only do what they want to do - if they are not going to eat - they'll take a few bites to humor me. Why do I do it - the same reason you do. Because I have to do what I can so that I can live with me - if I did not try and help a friend I could not look at myself in the mirror but I also know that I cannot make them do what they decide not to do - I can just try. Also, interestingly, my friends do not do the same for me. Why, it is not that they are uncaring or do not love me - they do it for others - why not me? Because they think I am the tough one - they never think I am so sick I cannot go to the store (of course, like you, I never tell them how sick I can feel) or that I cannot think of anyting that I could stand to eat. IRL I have a terrible time accepting help - I have an even more terrible time contemplating asking for help. Years ago I went thru a spot where the only reason I got out of bed in the morning was because people expected me to - when I confided to my absolutely best friend in the world - who I knew would give her life for me if she had to - she said "just get over it." Years after that she admitted that the reason she said that was because she thought that if I could have such a tough spot then it meant anyone could and she was afraid of that.
I guess - to quit rambling - I think some people will always accept help IRL and others never will. Sometimes that ones that never will just cannot - no matter how much we want them to - we can just offer and try.

And some people that might accept help but do not get it freely given may need to find a way to ask for help.