There was a time when Morbid Obesity was specifically listed in the social security impairment book, or blue book, as a disabling condition. Individuals filing for social security disability (SSD) or supplemental security income (SSI) benefits were evaluated according to a social security height/weight chart and, if their statistics met the blue book definition of obesity, they could be awarded benefits based on that condition alone.
All that changed in 1999, when Social Security no longer recognized obesity as an inherently disabling condition. The logic was that many obese individuals are able to lead productive lives and hold gainful employment. Today, you can still be awarded disability benefits for obesity, but only if you can demonstrate through medical records that your obesity is causing other physical symptoms severe enough to prevent you from working.
In other words, you must show, not only that you are obese, but that you are unable to work, either due to the existence of other related medical conditions such as arthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, decreased pulmonary function (extreme difficulty breathing), etc., or due to the fact that your obesity is in itself so severe it limits you from performing work and other activities of daily living, such as driving a car, bathing, walking, etc.
If your obesity is aggravating (or the cause of) medical conditions such as asthma, cardiac arrhythmia, edema, arthritis, etc., then you would file for disability based on the condition that is listed in the blue book (not obesity).
If you are morbidly obese but do not suffer from any other serious medical condition, you may still qualify for SSD/SSI benefits in the form of a medical vocational allowance, commonly referred to as a Med-Voc. A Med-Voc allowance is awarded to individuals that can show that their condition, while not listed in the blue book, is so severe that it prevents them from performing any form of gainful employment. Med-Voc allowances rely heavily on a physician's statement of your residual functional capacity (RFC), a form detailing exactly what activities you can and cannot perform in light of your medical condition.
RFC assessments are made by physicians who provide input on SSD and SSI cases for the social security administration. However, a claimant can obtain such an assessment from their own physician and submit this. If you are planning on filing for disability based on obesity alone, you should ask your physician to fill out an RFC for you, or you may be asked to attend a consultative exam (CE) with a social security doctor, who will assess your impairment and the extent to which it limits your physical activity.
In the case of morbid obesity, an RFC will most likely be required by the disability examiner evaluating your claim, and it's better to have the form completed by your own treating physician than one that works for the social security administration (SSA).
Note: an RFC form is freely available from this site and can be downloaded at the bottom of the homepage for www.disabilitysecrets.com
