Listing code
12.13
Adult (Part A)
Body system
12.00
Mental disorders
Subsections
0
No lettered criteria
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Eating disorders (see 12.00B10 ), satisfied by A and B: Medical documentation of a persistent alteration in eating or eating-related behavior that results in a change in consumption or absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical or psychological health. AND Extreme limitation of one, or marked limitation of two, of the following areas of mental functioning (see 12.00F ): Understand, remember, or apply information (see 12.00E1 ). Interact with others (see 12.00E2 ). Concentrate, persist, or maintain pace (see 12.00E3 ). Adapt or manage oneself (see 12.00E4 ).
This listing has no lettered subsections. The diagnosis itself, supported by the medical evidence described in the body-system overview, is what SSA evaluates.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 12.13. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 12.13 usually fail
People often satisfy the eating-behavior and health-impairment part but miss the functional part, because the required extreme limitation of one area or marked limitation of two areas in 12.00F is not demonstrated. Another failure mode is treating "impaired health" as enough without connecting it to the specific mental functioning areas SSA measures for work settings (12.00E1 through 12.00E4). Some claims stop at a general diagnosis label and do not document the persistent alteration in eating or eating-related behavior that results in a change in consumption or absorption. Others focus on one mental area of limitation when the criteria require either extreme limitation in one area or marked limitation in two areas.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical evidence must show a persistent alteration in eating or eating-related behavior that leads to a change in consumption or absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical or psychological health. The evidence also needs to support the functional limits across the four mental functioning areas used in eating disorder cases: understand, remember, or apply information; interact with others; concentrate, persist, or maintain pace; and adapt or manage oneself. Because this listing has no lettered subsections, SSA focuses on whether the overall medical documentation and the required extreme or marked limitations are present together.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the required pattern of extreme limitation (one area) or marked limitation (two areas) is not met, the claim can still be decided later using the remaining step process based on how the mental impairment affects functioning. At that point, the analysis centers on residual functional capacity, meaning what work-related mental activities can still be done despite the impairment, even if the listing-specific thresholds are not satisfied. For many claimants, the ability to perform work is then compared with the work-related limitations shown in the record rather than the listing label alone.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For SSDI, work history matters because SSA uses the work-activity rules at the start of the claim, then evaluates medical eligibility. For eating disorders under 12.13, approval depends on meeting the full combined criteria: medical documentation of a persistent alteration in eating or eating-related behavior with change in consumption or absorption that significantly impairs physical or psychological health, plus extreme limitation of one mental functioning area or marked limitation of two of the four areas used in 12.00F. After an approval, work activity rules can still apply during the trial work period and the period that follows, when eligibility for benefits may continue for some time if work attempts occur.
Listing 12.13 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for eating disorders disability claims.