The Board denied service connection for obesity as it is not an injury or disease for VA purposes and the veteran's weight gain was due to overeating and failure to adhere to dietary guidelines.
The deciding factor: Obesity, in this case, is a symptom of an underlying disorder and cannot be considered a disability for which service connection may be granted. The veteran's obesity is attributed to his own behavior rather than being caused by the service-connected back or right knee disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obesity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2008
- Citation
- 0809714
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted a 30 percent disability rating, but no higher. The claims for increased ratings and service connection for other conditions are denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 USC § 1151 due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is related to in-service asbestos exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a liver disorder, as the condition clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service and was not aggravated by it. The claims for obesity, left thigh/hip disorder, and right thigh/hip disorder were remanded for further development.
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