Q.- An employee has a diagnosis of obesity. She is starting a weight reduction program, and wants to be reimbursed for the cost of the food purchased on the program. Is this an expense that is eligible for reimbursement from her health flexible spending account plan?
A.- No. The IRS has said that individuals cannot treat any portion of the cost of a diet food as a medical care expense, even if they had been directed to lose weight as part of the treatment of a diagnosed medical condition. This is because the diet food is a substitute for the food normally consumed and satisfies normal nutritional requirements.