Being obese

RMA definition of being obese

In this Statement of Principles the Repatriation Medical Authority has defined being obese as meaningwhich results in a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater.

The measurement used to define “being obese” is the Body Mass Index (BMI).

The BMI = W/H2 and where:

W is the person’s weight in kilograms and

H is the person’s height in metres".

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

Establishing the presence of obesity

If it is not possible to obtain specific height/weight measurements, a medical comment that the veteran or member was obese will be sufficient.If height/weight measurements can be obtained, the BMI formula should be applied.

A history of obesity may be documented in the evidence.However, the veteran or member 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 veteran about his or her weight at a particular time will generally be accepted, unless there is contradictory evidence.This weight can then be used to calculate whether the veteran was obese at that time.

Last reviewed for CCPS 26 August 2004.

Investigative Documents

Preliminary questions [32225]

31344 there is some evidence that suffering from being obese may be a factor in the development of the condition under consideration.

587       the veteran has a history of obesity.

32328 the veteran has been obese for a period of at least 15 years at some time.

33245  the veteran satisfies the occurrence provisions for being obese and VEA service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

or

32281   the condition under consideration is malignant neoplasm of the colon.

32265  the veteran has established the causal connection between being obese and VEA service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

32266   the veteran has established the causal connection between being obese and operational service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

or

32267   the veteran has established the causal connection between being obese and eligible service for the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

Clinical onset and operational service [32266]

32268 the veteran was obese for at least fifteen years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

591       the obesity was caused by operational service.

or

9004     the veteran has a history of morbid obesity.

33246 the veteran was morbidly obese for at least fifteen years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

9005     the morbid obesity is causally related to operational service.

Clinical onset and eligible service [32267]

32269 the veteran was obese for at least thirty years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

3407     the obesity was caused by eligible service.

or

9004     the veteran has a history of morbid obesity.

33247 the veteran was morbidly obese for at least thirty years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the colorectum.

9006     the morbid obesity is causally related to eligible service.