Sarcopenia, Obesity, and Sarcopenic Obesity in Relation to Functional Limitations in Older Adults

Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are common in older adults and may be associated with functional limitations in Basic (BADL) and Instrumental (IADL) Activities of Daily Living. This study aimed to evaluate the association between body composition phenotypes and BADL/IADL limitations among older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 440 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years (281 women, 159 men; mean age 74.7 ± 7.8 years). Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to EWGSOP2 criteria, obesity was defined as Percent Body Fat > 42% in women and >30% in men, and SO was classified based on the ESPEN/EASO recommendations. The reference phenotype was ‘non-sarcopenic, non-obese’. Functional status was evaluated using the Katz and Lawton scales, with limitations defined as BADL ≤ 5 and IADL ≤ 26 points, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine associations between body composition phenotypes and BADL/IADL limitations. Results: Over half of the participants (57.1%) had abnormal body composition: 31.6% obesity, 11.4% sarcopenia, and 13.2% SO. Sarcopenic obesity was associated with nearly threefold higher odds of BADL limitations (OR = 2.86; p = 0.003) and 3.7-fold higher odds of IADL limitations (OR = 3.68; p < 0.001), compared to the reference phenotype. Sarcopenia was associated with IADL limitations only in the unadjusted model (OR = 2.44; p = 0.010). Beyond adverse body composition phenotypes, BADL/IADL limitations were also associated with lower muscle strength, multimorbidity, and poorer nutritional status. Conclusions: SO was linked to both BADL and IADL limitations, while sarcopenia was associated only with IADL deficits. Isolated obesity showed no consistent relationship with functional impairment. These findings support prioritizing SO in screening and prevention, although the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference.