[DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELE VENTH CIRCUIT

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WARREN LEW IS, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Pl ai nt iff - App el la nt , ve rs us COMM ISSI ONER OF SOCIAL SECURITY, ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll Defen da nt- App el le e.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co urt forth e North ernDis tri ctof F lo rid a

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (Au gu st16 , 20 12 ) Befo re BARKETT, W ILSON, andPRYOR, Ci rcu itJu dg es . PER CURI AM:

Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 1 of 7W arre n Lewi s ap pe al s t he di st ric t co urt’s o rd er af firm in g t he Co m

m is si on er of So ci al Secu rity ’s (“ Co m m is si on er”) de ni al of h is ap pl ic at io n fo r a p eri odof di sabi li ty anddi sabi li ty ins ur an ce b en efi ts , 42 U.S.C. § 4 05 (g ). Lewis co nt en ds th atth e Adm in is tra ti ve Law Ju dg e (“ ALJ”) fai le d t o fo ll ow the di rect iv es of S oc ia l Secu rit y Ru li ng (“ SSR” ) 02 -1 p g ov ern in g o be si ty. He arg ue s t ha t h is ob es it y an d arthr it is co m

bi ne d s ho ul d e qu at e to a li st in g- le ve l o f im pa irment, a lt ho ug h h e d oe s no t s pe ci fy

whi chli st in g. W e rev ie w th e d eci si on of t he ALJ as th e Co m m is si on er’s fi na l d eci si on whe n the ALJ h as de ni edbe ne fit s an d t he App eal s C ou rt h as de ni edrev ie w of t he ALJ’s d et erm in at io n. Dough tyv. Apf el , 24 5 F .3d12 74 , 12 78 (11 th Cir . 20 01 ). W e g iv e d efer en ce t o the Co m m is si on er’s fac tu al fin di ng s, as ki ng on ly if th ey are supp orte d b y

subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce “ co ns is ti ng of s uc h re le va ntev id en ce as a reas on ab le pe rs on wou ldacce ptas a de qu at e to supp ort a c on cl us io n.” Id
. (in te rn al qu ot at io n m ark s o m it te d) . W e rev ie w de no vo th e Co m m is si on er’s l eg al co nc lu si on s. Moo re v. Barnh ar t , 40 5 F .3d12 08 , 12 11 (11 th Cir . 20 05 ) (p er cu ria m). A cla im an t b ears th e b ur de n o f sh owi ng he is di sabl ed , se e 20 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 51 2( a), an d t he ALJ m ak es a fi ve -s te p e va lu at io n, ap pl y in g t he cri te riaof 2 0 C.F.R. § 40 4.1 52 0, t o d et erm in e whe th er the cla im an t h as m etth atbu rd en , 2 Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 2 of 7Dough ty , 24 5 F .3dat 1 27 8.

In o rd er t o re cei ve di sabi li ty ben efi ts , th e cl ai m an t m us t p ro ve at s te p on e th athe is no t u nd ert ak in g s ub st an ti al ga in fu l ac ti vi ty. At s te p two , th e cl ai m an t m

us t p ro ve th athe is su ffer in g fr om a se ve re im pa irment o r co m

bi na ti on of i m

pa irments . At st ep th ree, i f th e cl ai m an t p ro ve s t ha t h is im pa irment m eet s o ne of t he li st ed im pa irments fou ndinApp en di x 1 , he wi ll be co ns id ereddi sabl ed witho utco ns id erat io n o f ag e, educ at io n, an d wo rkex pe rie nc e. If th e cl ai m an t ca nn otpro ve th e ex is te nc e o f a l is te d i m pa irment, h e m

us t pr ov e atst ep fou r th athi s i m pa irment p rev en ts hi m

fro m pe rfo rm in g hi s p as t re le va ntwork . At th e fi fth st ep , th e reg ul at io ns di rectth e Co m m is si on er t o c on si de r th e cl ai m an t’s re si du al fun ct io na l capa ci ty, ag e, educ at io n, an d p as t wo rkex pe rie nc e to de te rm in e whe th er the cl ai m an t ca n p erfo rm

ot he r work b es id es hi s p as t re le va ntwork . Id
. (ci ta ti on s o mit te d) . At th e fo urth an d fi fth st ep s, the ALJ m ak es a de te rm in at io n o f th e cl ai m an t’s re si du al fun ct io na l capa ci ty (“ RFC” ) by exam in in g hi s ab il it y

to si t, s tand , walk , li ft, c arry, pus h, p ul l, re ach , st oo p, cr ou ch , han dl e, an d p erfo rm

ot he r work- rel at edph y si cal de m an ds . Se e 20 C.F.R. § § 4 04 .15 20 (e), (f), 4 04 .15 45 (b ). As Lewi s ac kn owl ed ge s i n h is bri ef, o be si ty is n ota li st edim pa irment, b ut th e ALJ i s re qu ire d t o c on si de r ob es it y inth e an al y si s o f a cl ai m an t’s o ve ral l m ed ic al co nd it io n. Se e SSR 0 2- 1p . Soc ia l Se curit y Reg ul at io n 0 2- 1p pro vi de s th atob es it y

sh al l b e co ns id eredwhen de te rm in in g i f (1 ) a cl ai m an t h as a m ed ic al ly de te rm in ab le im

pa irment, (2 ) th e im

pa irment i s s ev ere, (3 ) th e im pa irment m eet s orequa ls th e requi rem en ts of ali st edim pa irment, a nd(4) th e im

pa irment b ars 3 Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 3 of 7cl ai m an t “ fro m do in g p as t re le va ntworkan d o th er wo rkth atex is ts insi gn ifi can t nu m be rs inth e n at io na l ec on omy .” SSR 0 2- 1p . The Re gu la ti on als o s ta te s t ha t: Bec au se th ere i s n o l is ti ng forob es it y , we wil l fi ndth atanin di vi du al with o be si ty “m eet s” th e requi rem en ts of ali st in g i f he or s he ha s an ot he r im

pa irment tha t, b y

it se lf, m eet s t he requi rem en ts of ali st in g. W e wil l al so fin d t ha t a l is ti ng is m etif t he re i s an im pa irment t ha t, i n co m bi na ti on with o be si ty, m eet s t he requi rem en ts of ali st in g. . . . W e m ay als o fi ndth atob es it y , by it se lf, i s m ed ic al ly equ iv al en t t o a li st edim pa irment. . . . Forex am

pl e, if th e o be si ty is o f su cha le ve l th atitres ul ts inanin ab il it y to am bu la te effe ct iv el y , as d efi ne d i n se ct io ns 1.0 0B 2b or 1 01 .00 B2 b o f th e li st in gs , itm ay subs ti tu te for th e m ajordysfunc ti on of ajoi nt (s ) du e to an y cau se (an d i ts as so ci at edcri te ria ), with t he in vo lv em en t o f on e m ajorpe rip he ral weig ht -b eari ng joi ntinli st in gs 1.0 2A o r 10 1.0 2A, an d we wi ll th en m ak e a fi nd in g o f m ed ic al equi va le nc e. . . . W e wil l al so fin d e qu iv al en ce i f anin di vi du al ha s m ul ti pl e im pa irments , in cl ud in g o be si ty, no on e o f whi chm eet s o r equa ls th e requi rem en ts of ali st in g, b utth e co m bi na ti on of i m

pa irments is equi va le ntinsev eri ty to a l is te d i m pa irment. SSR 0 2- 1p . W e fi ndth atth e ALJ p ro pe rly con si de redLewis ’s ob es it y in acco rd an ce wi th SSR 0 2- 1p when m ak in g adi sabi li ty det erm in at io n. Th e ALJ h eardtes ti m on y

fro m tre at in g d oc to rs an d re vi ewedev id en ce fr om a nu m be r of so ur ces reg ard in g Lewi s’s o be si ty, co ns id eri ng hi s o be si ty in the co nt ex t o f hi s o th er h eal th pro bl em s. Ult im at el y , th e ALJ co nc lu de d tha t Lewis ’s m orbi d o be si ty wa s a se ve re i m pa irment b utth atitwas n oton e th at 4 Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 4 of 7ro se to th e le ve l o f a l is te d i m pa irment, e ve n i n c on

jun ct io n wi th ot he r im pa irments . The ALJ a ls o fo un d t ha t d es pi te hi s o be si ty, Lewis ha d t he RFC t o (1 ) li ft twen ty pou nd s o ccas io na ll y an d t enpo un ds freque nt ly, (2 ) st an d, wal k, o r si t fo r ab ou t s ix ou t o f ei gh t h ou rs ina workd ay , and(3) pe rfo rm li gh t wo rkas d efi ne d b y 20 C.F.R. § 41 6.9 67 (b ). He co nc lu de d th atalt ho ug h Lewi s co ul d n otpe rfo rm hi s p as t re le va ntwork , th ere a re job s th atex is t i n s ig ni fic an t num be rs inth e n at io na l ec on om y th atLewis wou ld be ab le to pe rfo rm . There fo re, the ALJ co nc lu de d t ha t Lewi s i s n ot di sabl ed . The ALJ’s de te rm in at io ns are al l s up po rte d b y subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce i n th e rec or d. Dr. Ch od os h e xa m in edLewis in20 06 an d a ss es se d tha t Lewi s

“ d[ id ] no t ap pe ar p art ic ul arl y un he al th y .” He st at edth atde sp it e so m e he al th pro bl em s, Lewi s was ab le to be in de pe nd en t i n a ct iv it ie s o f da il y li vi ng an d c ou ldwalk , st an d, s it , st oo p, l iftli gh t o bjec ts , andus e h is ha nd s no rm al ly. Dr. Cho do sh als o fo un d t ha t Lewi s h adful l s tre ng th an d m ot or fu nc ti on inhi s l im

bs , des pi te so m e swe ll in g i n h is leg s, an d t ha t the reduc ti on inLewis ’s ran ge of m ot io n was m in or . In 2 00 6, Lewi s u nd erwen t a th or aco to m

y , bu t o ne m on th aft er the pro cedur e, he ch eck edinwith Doc to r Pro iaan d s ta te d t ha t “ he fe[l t] qu it e g oo d.” In 2 00 7, Dr. Pa ck 5 Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 5 of 7tre at edLewis forfoo t p ai n a ndreco rd edth atLewis ha d “ [n ]o pe rcei ve d

weakne ss ” an d “ no pro bl em s wi th am bu la ti on .” Lewis als o v is it edan im ag in g c en te r in 20 07 forin ve st ig at io n o f hi p, s ho ul de r, an d b ackpa in , an d t he rep ort i nd ic at edon ly “m il d t o m od erat e d eg en erat iv e ch an ge s o f bo th hi ps ,” with n o i nd ic at io n o f ha rm inot he r reg io ns . At hi s h eari ng with th e ALJ, Lewi s t es ti fie d abo uthi s s ym pt om s an d t he res tri ct io ns th athi s he al th pl acedon th e ab il it y to en ga ge inda il y

act iv it ie s. A vo cat io na l ex pe rt wa s t he n c al le d t o t es ti fy to th e av ai labi li ty of work t ha t a hypo th et ic al can di da te with Lewi s’s ch arac te ris ti cs co ul d p erfo rm , andhe res po nd edth atsu chpo si ti on s ex is te d i n s ig ni fic an t n um be rs inth e reg io na l an d n at io na l ec on omy . The reco rdin di cat es th atalt ho ug h Lewi s h adhe al th pro bl em s, the se pr ob le m s d idno t am ou ntto a li st in g- le ve l i m pa irment. To th e ex te ntth at Lewis arg ue s t ha t h e h adarthr it is th atwou ldm eetth e requi rem en ts of Mu sc ul os ke le ta l Syste m

im pa irment, 2 0 C .F.R. pt . 40 4, s ub pt . P., app . 1, § 1.0 0, o ne cri te riaforth attype o f im pa irment i s t ha t a p ers on ha ve th e

“ in ab il it y to am bu la te effe ct iv el y

on a su st ai ne d b as is ,” id
. Becaus e th e reco rdin di cat es th atLewis was c ap ab le of a m bu la ti ng , he wo ul d n otfal l withi n t ha t l is te d i m

pa irment. 6 Case: 11-15415 Date Filed: 08/16/2012 Page: 6 of 7W e th eref or e aff irm be cau se th e ALJ’s fi nd in gs are l eg al ly corre ct an d s up po rte d b y

subs ta nt ia l ev id en ce. AFFIRMED.

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