Being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio

Osteoarthritis - Being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio Factor

The osteoarthritis SOP includes factors of "being overweight", or having "a waist to hip circumference ratio exceeding 1.0 (males) and 0.9 (females)" for osteoarthritis of the lower limb or hand.

The RMA defines a joint of the lower limb to mean "the hip, knee, ankle, sacro-iliac joint or any joint of the foot".

Waist to hip circumference ratio

In this Statement of Principles the Repatriation Medical Authority has defined being overweight as meaning" an increase in body weight by way of fat accumulation which results in a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or greater.

The BMI = W/H2 and where: W is the person’s weight in kilograms and H is the person’s height in metres".

General information about being overweight

(For Imperial weights and measures, BMI = wt. in lbs/(ht in inches) x 703.1).

If the person's BMI is 25, but less than 30, you will need to consider the condition/s which led to this increased level of weight, the requirements for being obese and morbid obesity do not need to be met here, but should be considered as a guideline for the types of factors that could apply to this factor.  If the person does have a BMI at 30 or above you will need to consider the provisions for being obese, or morbid obesity.

Establishing if a person is overweight or has an increased waist to hip ratio circumference

If it is not possible to obtain specific height/weight or waist/hip measurements, a medical comment that the veteran or member was overweight at the required level will be sufficient.  If height/weight or waist/hip measurements can be obtained, the BMI formula or circumference ratio should be applied.

A history of being overweight may be documented in the evidence.However, the person may not have sought medical attention and the condition may not have been recorded in medical records.In addition, doctors' and hospitals' records may have been destroyed or can no longer be obtained.

Therefore, a statement by the person about his or her weight or measurements at a particular time will generally be accepted, unless there is contradictory evidence.These measurements can then be used to calculate whether the person was overweight or would have the required waist to hip ratio at that time.

Last reviewed for CCPS 10 June 2012.

Investigative Documents

Preliminary questions [8632]

41796 there is some evidence that being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio may be a factor in the development or worsening of the condition under consideration.

41853 the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years at some time.

41718 the veteran has osteoarthritis of a joint of the lower limb or hand joint only.

41801  the veteran has claimed osteoarthritis of a relevant joint or joints for being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio.

or

41811   the veteran has claimed osteoarthritis of an unspecified relevant joint or joints for being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio.

41812  the veteran has osteoarthritis of a lower limb or hand joint only.

41798  the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and VEA service for osteoarthritis.

41799   the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and VEA service for the clinical onset of osteoarthritis.

41802  the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and operational service for the clinical onset of osteoarthritis.

or

41803  the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and eligible service for the clinical onset of osteoarthritis.

or

7334     the clinical onset of the condition under consideration occurred after the end of the veteran's last period of VEA service.

7335     the condition under consideration permanently worsened.

41800   the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and VEA service for the clinical worsening of osteoarthritis.

41804  the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and operational service for the clinical worsening of osteoarthritis.

or

41805  the veteran has established the causal connection between being overweight or increased waist to hip ratio and eligible service for the clinical worsening of osteoarthritis.

Clinical onset and operational service [41802]

41806 the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

41807 as a causal result of operational service the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

Clinical onset and eligible service [41803]

41806 the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

41809 as a causal result of eligible service the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical onset of the condition under consideration.

Clinical worsening and operational service [41804]

41808 the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

41854 as a causal result of operational service the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

Clinical worsening and eligible service [41805]

41808 the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.

41855 as a causal result of eligible service the veteran has been overweight or had an increased waist to hip ratio as specified in the Statements of Principles requirements for a period of at least 10 years before the clinical worsening of the condition under consideration.