VA Disability for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are mental health disorders that can cause significant physical health problems. If you developed an eating disorder as a result of your military service or an existing disorder was worsened by service, you may be entitled to VA disability compensation. You’ll want to understand the eating disorder VA rating.

You saw and experienced extremely difficult things while you were on active duty. Then, you were diagnosed with a trauma disorder after you returned home. You thought you were improving with treatment, but now you can’t bring yourself to eat. You’re rapidly losing weight, and your doctor says you’ve developed an eating disorder. This post explains how that too may be related to your service.

Veterans and eating disorders

An eating disorder is a mental health issue that affects a person’s emotional and physical health. It is typically the result of a skewed self or body image. 

The three most common types of eating disorders are:

1. Anorexia nervosa. A person restricts their caloric intake, sometimes almost to the point of starvation.
2. Bulimia nervosa. A person eats large amounts of food, then rids their body of it through methods like vomiting, laxative use, or extreme amounts of exercise.
3. Binge eating disorder. A person eats large amounts of food in one sitting and is unable to stop.

About 9% of the U.S. population will develop an eating disorder at some point in their life. Active duty service members and veterans are more likely to develop eating disorders than the general population. One study found eating disorders in veterans were about 9% in males and 19% in females. 

One reason veterans are more prone to eating disorders is their exposure to trauma and the subsequent development of mental health disorders, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a result. There is a clear relationship between emotional trauma and the development of disordered eating.

Eating disorder VA rating

The VA rates eating disorders based on the severity of the condition. It rates anorexia under diagnostic code 9520 and bulimia nervosa under diagnostic code 9521 in the Schedule of Ratings, but both rating criteria are the same. The rating criteria is as follows:

Description	VA Rating	Monthly payment (vet only)
Self-induced weight loss to less than 80 percent of expected minimum weight, with incapacitating episodes of at least six weeks total duration per year, and requiring hospitalization more than twice a year for parenteral nutrition or tube feeding.	100%	$3,938.58
Self-induced weight loss to less than 85 percent of expected minimum weight with incapacitating episodes of six or more weeks total duration per year.	60%	$1,434.02
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 per year.	30%	$552.47
Binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain, or resistance to weight gain even when below expected minimum weight, with diagnosis of an eating disorder and incapacitating episodes of up to two weeks total duration per year.	10%	$180.42
Binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other measures to prevent weight gain, or resistance to weight gain even when below expected minimum weight, with diagnosis of an eating disorder but without incapacitating episodes.	0%	None

The VA defines an “incapacitating episode” as a period when bed rest and medical treatment are necessary.

It’s important to note that the above rating criteria doesn’t apply to binge eating disorder. If binge eating is a problem, the VA should consider the condition’s potential relationship to co-occuring mental health disorders such as PTSD or major depressive disorder.

Eating disorders and related conditions

The majority of people (55-97%) with eating disorders have a co-occurring condition, or another mental health disorder that exists along with the eating disorder. Some common co-occurring disorders linked with eating disorders also may qualify for VA disability benefits. That means the eating disorder may be secondarily connected to these disorders or vice versa. 

Common mental health conditions linked to eating disorders include:

• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Alcohol or substance abuse disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Some of these issues may fall under the VA’s disability rating for mental health disorders. 

Researchers also have found a relationship between sexual assault and the development of eating disorders. That means survivors of military sexual trauma may be more prone to developing an eating disorder. If that’s the case, both conditions should be service connected.

Eating disorders also can cause physical health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. You may also be able to service connect those conditions, if they develop as a result of a service-connected eating disorder.

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TDIU for eating disorders

A veteran can be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) benefits if they can’t maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected conditions. 

Eating disorders can often lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and anxiety that may make it harder to go out in public. Additionally, veterans with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder may struggle with other serious mental health disorders such as PTSD, which can make it difficult to cooperate on a team or in a work environment.

TDIU pays at the same level as a 100% disability rating, even when the veteran’s combined rating is below 100%. 

Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:

• One service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR 
• Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more.

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How Woods & Woods can help

Our TDIU lawyers have helped thousands of veterans nationwide who can no longer work because of their service-connected conditions. Call us today for your free, confidential TDIU case evaluation. You won’t pay us unless we win your claim.

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