The concept of obesity as a disability has been a hot issue for several years. The ADA Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA) altered the scope of the ADA’s definition and interpretation of disability (look at the EEOC links in the Student Resources module). After approximately two years of input from employers and other interested parties, the EEOC published its final rules regarding the implementation of the ADAAA.

1. Define morbid/severe obesity.

2. Then, discuss how the ADAAA changed the interpretation of a disability

3. Under what conditions morbid or severe obesity, regardless of cause, is impairment or is a disability under the ADA, and

4. The future implications to organizations covered by these laws with respect to obesity issues.