Diagnosis and Management of Sarcopenic Obesity

While obesity has garnered significant attention as one of the most common chronic diseases, the awareness and scientific understanding around the role of sarcopenia in obesity remains lacking.Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is characterised by the coexistence of sarcopenia (loss of skeletal muscle mass and function/strength) and obesity (excess or abnormally distributed body adiposity, which impairs health), which can impact people of all ages.SO warrants attention as it serves as an independent risk factor for poorer health and outcomes including increased frailty and mortality, and more adverse metabolic outcomes.With the increasing use of obesity management interventions that result in significant weight loss, SO can either develop in susceptible individuals or worsen in those with pre-existing SO.Management of SO poses unique challenges as it mandates a balance of adequate weight loss with the preservation of skeletal muscle mass and strength.This article provides an overview of SO and its management.