How do you know if someone is malnourished/sarcopenic, or just thin?

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The simplest way will be to ask these questions:

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1. Can they walk independently across the room without any assistance?

2. Can they lift and carry 4 kg weight without issue?

3. Can they climb 10 stairs without issue?

4. Can they rise from the chair or transfer from chair to bed themselves?

5. Do they have any fall in the last 1 year?

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If the answer for the first four questions are "no" and the last question is "yes", then the person is very likely to have malnutrition and sarcopenia, rather than just thin.

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Source:

1. Malmstrom TK, Morley JE. "SARC-F: a simple questionnaire to rapidly diagnose sarcopenia." Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2013 Aug 1;14(8):531-2.

2. Malmstrom TK, Miller DK, Simonsick EM, Ferrucci L, Morley JE. "SARC-F: a symptom score to predict persons with sarcopenia at risk for poor functional outcomes." Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle. 2016 Mar;7(1):28-36.