Can morbid obesity be considered a disability?

If you are obese or morbidly obese, that alone won’t qualify you for disability benefits. You must show your obesity leads to conditions in the SSA’s special set of rules or that because of your obesity, you’re unable to work. Social Security’s rule recognize many conditions are affected by obesity, like: Heart disease.

Is morbid obesity covered under ADA?

Without evidence of an underlying physiological disorder or condition, extreme obesity is not an impairment under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

What is the cutoff for morbidly obese?

Individuals are usually considered morbidly obese if their weight is more than 80 to 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. A BMI above 40 indicates that a person is morbidly obese and therefore a candidate for bariatric surgery.

Is morbid obesity a comorbidity?

MEDICAL EFFECTS OF MORBID OBESITY. Morbid obesity is not a choice of lifestyle but is a chronic disease that causes other life-threatening diseases, which are called comorbidities.

What level of obesity is a disability?

In the medical community, obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or higher. No specific weight or BMI establishes obesity as a severe impairment within the disability program. For how we establish obesity as an MDI, see Question 3. For when we consider obesity to be a severe impairment, see Question 4.

How much do you have to weigh to get disability for obesity?

Some people with obesity qualify for SSDI benefits, because of their other medical conditions. Although the medical community defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, the SSA does not use any specific weight or BMI to establish obesity as a severe impairment for purposes of SSDI benefits.

How is obesity considered a disability?

Thanks to a new decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the law appears to be settling on the principle that obesity only qualifies as a disability under the ADA if it is caused by an underlying physiological disorder or condition. That is good news for employers.

What is the difference between severe and morbid obesity?

Obesity, having too much body fat, is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height. Morbid obesity, which is also termed “clinically severe obesity,” is typically defined as being more than 100 pounds overweight or having a BMI of 40 or higher.