The Board has denied service connection for obesity as it is not a disease or injury for which service connection may be established. The Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, left sciatic nerve disability, and depression are remanded due to missing medical records and the need for VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that obesity per se is not a 'disease' or 'injury' for purposes of 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110 and 1131 and, therefore, service connection for obesity may not be established on a direct basis.
- Claimed conditions
- obesity, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, left sciatic nerve disability, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18125430
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18125430.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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