The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) considers eating disorders as compensable conditions for veterans. The VA ratings for eating disorders range from 0% to 100%, depending on the severity of your condition.
To learn more about what service-connected eating disorders are, how the VA assigns disability ratings for eating disorders, and what you need to do to apply for VA benefits, see the information below.
If you want help obtaining an eating disorder VA rating, call Stone Rose Law at (480) 498-8998 or use our contact form to get in touch with a VA disability benefits lawyer.
The VA rates eating disorders under 38 CFR § 4.130. If the VA approves your claim, then you can qualify for one of the following disability ratings:
This rating is for binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain. It also applies to resisting weight gain even when below the expected minimum weight but without incapacitating episodes.
An “incapacitating episode” requires bed rest and medical attention by a doctor.
A 0% VA disability rating does not qualify for monthly disability compensation. However, it gives you access to other VA disability benefits, including VA physical and mental healthcare services.
This rating is for binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain or resistance to weight gain even when below the expected minimum weight, with incapacitating episodes of up to two weeks total duration annually.
This rating is for self-induced weight loss to less than 85 percent of expected minimum weight, with incapacitating episodes of more than two but less than six weeks total duration annually.
This rating is for self-induced weight loss to less than 85 percent of your expected minimum weight, with incapacitating episodes of six or more weeks total duration annually.
At this total disability rating, you are experiencing self-induced weight loss to less than 80 percent of your expected minimum weight.
You have incapacitating episodes of at least six weeks total duration annually, requiring hospitalization more often than twice a year for parenteral nutrition or tube feeding.
A TDIU claim is based on your inability to get or keep substantially gainful employment because of a VA-recognized disability. If you qualify for TDIU-based benefits, your monthly compensation is the same as if you have a 100% disability rating, even if your actual disability rating is less than 100%.
There are two main ways to qualify for TDIU benefits. In addition to being unable to be substantially gainfully employed, you must either:
To learn more about how combined disability ratings work, please see our VA Disability Calculator.
The process of making a benefits claim for an eating disorder is the standard one for most VA benefits:
The VA heavily relies on documentary evidence to establish a service connection between your eating disorder and your active military service. A primary service connection is when your in-service event, injury, or illness led directly to your current diagnosis.
Common forms of supporting documentation are your service medical records and personnel records, your civilian medical care records and medical bills, and written lay statements by people who can attest to the effects your eating disorder is having on your ability to work and engage in daily life activities.
Once you have completed your application and attached your supporting documentation, you can submit your application online, through the mail, or in person at your local VA regional office.
A secondary service connection can occur if your eating disorder arises from another VA disability that you already have a VA rating for.
For example, certain kinds of trauma, PTSD symptoms, and depression are recognized VA disabilities. If you can make a connection between a VA disability for any of these conditions and your eating disorder, then you can establish a secondary connection.
The VA rejects about one-third of all initial disability benefits claims it receives. If this happens to your eating disorder claim, then you can appeal the VA decision within one year after its issuance.
Your appeal can be a request for higher-level review, a supplemental claim to provide new and relevant supporting evidence, or a formal board review.
An experienced VA disability benefits appeals attorney, like one of our VA lawyers at Stone Rose Law, can help you understand why the VA denied your initial claim and help you decide on the best option for your unique situation.
According to a study published in 2022 by the journal Military Medicine, eating disorders affect many in the American veteran population.
The inherent stresses of military life can be a major contributor to the onset of an eating disorder. These include frequent deployments, engaging in combat, irregular working hours, physical trauma, and psychological harm that manifests through major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or substance use disorder (SUD).
Service-connected eating disorders can have direct and secondary effects on veterans. Some of the secondary consequences of eating disorders are themselves compensable VA disabilities.
The three most common kinds of eating disorders that may qualify for a VA rating are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Each has its own symptoms.
Anorexia nervosa is a potentially life-threatening condition.
Veterans diagnosed with anorexia nervosa suffer from an intense fear of gaining weight and can have a distorted sense of their own body shape and weight.
Symptoms of this condition include:
Like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa is also a potentially life-threatening condition. Veterans who suffer from this condition tend to eat large amounts of food quickly but then purge it shortly afterward by methods like self-induced vomiting or laxative use.
Although veterans who experience bulimia nervosa may be able to maintain a normal body weight, they do so at a considerable physical cost that can lead to serious health complications.
Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:
Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia nervosa in that a person will overeat in a single sitting. The difference is that binge eaters will not try to purge the consumed food afterward, although they may experience feelings of guilt and shame.
People who suffer from this condition have trouble controlling their eating habits. They may eat when they are not hungry and keep eating even when they experience discomfort. In most cases, this binge behavior occurs at least once weekly.
Symptoms of binge eating disorder include:
At Stone Rose Law, our dedicated VA disability advocates are board-certified VA claims lawyers. Our VA-accredited attorneys give you affordable, high-quality veterans appeals legal assistance.
We can help prepare your eating disorder disability claim and monitor its status. We will also consult with you before any compensation and pension (C&P) disability examinations the VA may request. We provide all these services at no cost to you.
If the VA denies your original claim, then our VA benefits law firm will assign a VA disability appeals lawyer to help you pursue a VA appeal with the Board of Veterans Appeals. For more information about how Stone Rose Law can help you with your eating disorder VA disability compensation claim or appeal, call (480) 498-8998 or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
