If your obesity prevents you from working or has resulted in associated medical conditions such as diabetes, you may qualify for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration. While obesity no longer has a listing in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book Listing of Impairments, it can still have a big impact on your claim for Social Security disability benefits.
Houston disability lawyer M. Stanley Whitehead has assisted individuals all over the U.S. win the disability benefits they require for obesity and other serious medical conditions. If your claim for Social Security disability benefits for obesity has been denied, give the law offices of M. Stanley Whitehead a call.
Linking Your Obesity to Another Impairment
Linking your obesity to another impairment that is listed in the Blue Book can have an impact on your Social Security disability claim.
The SSA defines obesity as a health disorder characterized by an excess of body fat. A person is considered obese when their Body Mass Index (BMI) — their weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters — is 30 or more. A person with a BMI over 40 is considered to be morbidly obese.
Obesity often increases the risk for developing other impairments that do have their own listing. These include:
- Type II diabetes;
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- Respiratory impairments;
- Osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders;
- Depression and other mental impairments; and
- Certain types of cancer.
If your obesity can be linked to one of these medical conditions, and it can be demonstrated that it contributes to your inability to perform work of any kind, it could help you meet the qualifications for the listed impairment.
Equal Another Listing
Even if your obesity isn’t linked to a related condition, you may still qualify for benefits if you can show the disability caused by your obesity is equal to a listing. For instance, if your obesity prevents you from standing, you may be able to show that your impairment is equal to that of a musculoskeletal disorder.
You will have to be able to show that your obesity, alone or in combination with another impairment(s), significantly limits your physical or mental ability to do basic work activities to have your claim for disability benefits approved. The more evidence you can submit to support your claim, the better your chances of success.
Speak to a Board Certified Social Security Disability Benefits Attorney
In many cases, a claim for disability benefits is rejected not because the applicant doesn’t qualify, but simply because they failed to provide the SSA with the necessary information they required to make a favorable decision.
Board-certified Social Security disability benefits lawyer M. Stanley Whitehead can help ensure you submit the proper evidence to get your disability claim approved. Call the law offices of M. Stanley Whitehead to discuss your disability benefits case.
