What can I claim secondary to eating disorder?
1 condition in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list eating disorder as a factor. If DVA has accepted your eating disorder, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionEating disorder
- Conditions it may open1
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your eating disorder, and another condition's SoP lists eating disorder as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list eating disorder as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Morbid obesity
RH No. 43 of 2022 · BoP No. 44 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (5): “having binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome for at least the 1 year before the clinical onset of morbid obesity” [clinical onset] — factor (19): “having binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome for at least the 1 year before the clinical worsening of morbid obesity; Morbid Obesity (Reasonable Hypothesis) (No. 43 of 2022.)” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (5): “having binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome for at least the 1 year before the clinical onset of morbid obesity” [clinical onset] — factor (18): “having binge eating disorder or night eating syndrome for at least the 1 year before the clinical worsening of morbid obesity” [worsening]
Note: binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome are defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Other accepted conditions that also open morbid obesity
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions eating disorder does.
What DVA means by eating disorder
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Eating disorder, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, eating disorder: (a) means a persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behaviour resulting in the altered consumption or absorption of food, which significantly impairs physical health or psychosocial functioning; and (b) includes: (i) anorexia nervosa; (ii) bulimia nervosa; (iii) binge-eating disorder; (iv) pica; (v) rumination disorder; (vi) avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (vii) other specified feeding or eating disorder; and (viii) unspecified feeding or eating disorder; and (c) excludes: (i) anorexia; (ii) orthorexia nervosa; and (iii) polyphagia. anorexia nervosa means a disorder of mental health meeting the following diagnostic criteria (derived from DSM-5-TR): (a) Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements, leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health. Significantly low weight is defined as a weight that is less than minimally normal or, for children and adolescents, less than that minimally expected; (b) Intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat, or persistent behaviour that interferes with weight gain, even though a
RH No. 15 of 2025 · BoP No. 16 of 2025 · 8 factors
What could support a claim for eating disorder?
The Statement of Principles for eating disorder names 2 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a eating disorder claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having one of the following clinically significant disorders of mental health during the 2 years before clinical onset or clinical worsening of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: (a) alcohol use disorder; (b) anxiety disorder; (c) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; (d) depressive disorder; (e) gender dysphoria; (f) obsessive compulsive disorder; (g) panic disorder; (h) personality disorder; (i) posttraumatic stress disorder; (j) social anxiety disorder; or (k) substance use disorder” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (3): “having one of the following clinically significant disorders of mental health during the 12 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: (a) anxiety disorder; (b) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; (c) depressive disorder; (d) personality disorder; (e) posttraumatic stress disorder; or (f) social anxiety disorder” [onset and worsening]
Diabetes mellitus
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (10): “having type 1 diabetes mellitus for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder” [onset and worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (7): “having type 1 diabetes mellitus for at least the 3 months before clinical onset or clinical worsening of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder” [onset and worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Eating disorder accepted?
Contact us for more information.