Can Obesity Qualify You for Disability?

Obesity is a chronic disease marked by an excess of body fat and usually caused by a combination of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. People who are obese have an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, and many other medical issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control, over 40% of adult Americans are obese, and almost 10% have severe (or "morbid") obesity.

Obesity can greatly limit your daily functioning and complicate a wide range of other physical and mental conditions. When a disability applicant's paperwork or medical records mention obesity alongside other severe impairments, the Social Security Administration (SSA) must evaluate the extent to which obesity prevents the applicant from working full-time.

Is Obesity a Disability?

Broadly speaking, merely being obese isn't enough on its own to qualify for disability benefits. While obesity was previously one of the impairments listed in Social Security's "Blue Book" of automatically disabling conditions, the disorder was removed in 1999.

However, the SSA can consider obesity to be a medically determinable severe impairment that causes potentially disabling limitations. Social Security Ruling 19-2p provides guidance for claims examiners and administrative law judges when evaluating cases involving obesity.

Getting a Diagnosis of Obesity

Doctors typically diagnose obesity based on their patients' medical history, physical examinations, and body mass index (BMI). BMI is a height-to-weight ratio that can provide an estimate of your body fat percentage. People with a BMI greater than 30 are considered to be obese. Obesity can be further classified based on the exact BMI number:

• A BMI of 30 to 34.9 indicates Level I obesity.
• A BMI of 35 to 39.9 indicates Level II obesity.
• A BMI of 40 or more indicates Level III (severe or morbid) obesity.

Keep in mind that there isn't a specific weight or BMI that establishes obesity as a severe impairment. Even if your BMI is in the normal range, your doctor may diagnose you with obesity based on waist measurement. Medical studies suggest that people who store fat around their waist rather than their hips may have a greater risk of obesity-related complications.

Medical Conditions Associated With Obesity

Don't forget to list every medical condition you're receiving treatment for on your disability application, including obesity. It's more likely that you'll qualify for benefits based on a combination of impairments than you would based on obesity alone. Examples of obesity-related health issues include:

• type II diabetes
• stroke
• heart disease
• respiratory disorders like sleep apnea
• osteoarthritis
• mental impairments such as depression, and
• various cancers.

Even if your doctor hasn't formally diagnosed you with obesity, you should include it on your disability application if you believe your weight is interfering with your ability to work.

Qualifying for Disability Benefits When Obesity Keeps You From Working

Social Security is required to consider any limitations you have as a result of obesity when assessing your residual functional capacity (RFC). Your RFC is a description of what you can still do at work despite your medical impairments. The agency reviews your medical records and daily activities when determining what limitations to include in your RFC.

Being obese can affect your RFC in many ways. Obesity increases stress on your joints and can reduce the range of motion in your spine, limiting your ability to sit, stand, walk, and lift objects. Your RFC may also contain restrictions on movements such as climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling. If you have fatty tissue in your hands and fingers, your RFC may restrict you from performing tasks involving fine manipulation, such as typing. Or if your ability to tolerate heat or humidity is compromised, your RFC may have "environmental" limitations as well.

As part of Social Security's sequential evaluation process, the agency compares your current RFC with the demands of your past jobs to see if you could still perform those jobs today. If not, the agency then considers additional factors, such as your age, education, and work experience, to decide whether you should be able to perform any other work in the national economy. People with an RFC that rules out all past and other work will qualify for disability benefits.

How to Apply for Disability With Obesity

Applying for disability is a fairly simple process, with options to file online, over the phone, or in person at a nearby Social Security field office. Before you apply, however, you should make sure that your case is as strong as possible by regularly visiting your medical providers. The SSA wants to see evidence that you've sought help for obesity and related conditions, which means submitting notes from doctors who've conducted physical examinations and prescribed any treatments that can help relieve your symptoms.

Once you've established an ongoing relationship with a physician, consider asking them to provide a medical source statement about how your obesity affects your health. Social Security values insights from doctors who've known you long enough to become familiar with your limitations, and will take their opinion into consideration as long as it's supported by the rest of your medical records.

How Much Is a Disability Check for Obesity?

Social Security doesn't pay benefits based on the specific condition that's causing your disability. Rather, the amount of your check will depend on which disability program you're eligible for—Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

SSDI benefits are available to people with a qualifying work history who've contributed to the program by way of payroll taxes (or self-employment taxes).

SSI is a needs-based program, with eligibility determined by having income and assets below a certain low threshold. In 2024, the maximum monthly benefit you can receive in SSI is $943, while SSDI can pay up to $3,822 (although the average SSDI check is much smaller, at $1,537 per month).

The exact amount of your SSDI or SSI check can vary from month to month if you're working part-time. For example, SSI benefits are reduced by any countable income you have, while people on SSDI may jeopardize their payments if they earn too much after their trial work period is over.

Getting Legal Help for Your Disability Claim

You aren't required to get an attorney at any stage of the disability determination process, but it's a good idea. Not many applicants are approved at the initial level of review, so having an experienced disability lawyer by your side can increase your chances of winning on appeal. And because disability lawyers aren't paid unless you win your case, there's little downside in obtaining representation.