WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your weight gain (also called weight gain, gained weight, gained a lot of weight, put on weight), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected weight gain commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (weight gain) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Important, and it saves people a denial: the VA does not rate weight gain or obesity as a disability on its own. VA General Counsel opinion VAOPGCPREC 1-2017 holds that obesity is not a disease or injury for compensation purposes. What it CAN be is the intermediate step in a chain, your service-connected condition caused the weight gain, and the weight gain caused this new condition, which supports secondary service connection under 38 CFR 3.310(a). Weight gain driven by a service-connected back or knee injury that stopped you exercising, or by psychiatric medication, into obstructive sleep apnea is the most common version of that chain. So you claim the sleep apnea, not the weight.
What you'd need: A sleep study confirming apnea, your documented weight over time starting before the service-connected condition, and a nexus opinion that walks the full chain: service-connected condition, then weight gain, then apnea.
Substantial weight gain is a recognized contributor to type 2 diabetes. The same bridge rule applies, the claim is the diabetes and the weight gain is the middle link you have to document.
What you'd need: Lab work showing the progression to diabetes, your weight history, and a nexus opinion covering the full chain.
Significant weight gain raises blood pressure, and hypertension that developed alongside the weight gain can be claimed through the same intermediate-step chain.
What you'd need: Blood pressure readings over time showing when the rise started, your weight history, and a nexus opinion linking the two to the service-connected condition.
Carrying substantial extra weight accelerates wear in the weight-bearing joints. If the weight gain traces back to a service-connected condition, the joint damage can follow the same chain.
What you'd need: Imaging and range-of-motion findings for the affected joints, your weight history, and a nexus opinion tying the joint wear to the weight gain.