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Introduction: Obesity co-exists with malnutrition and muscle atrophy in patients with cirrhosis. Muscle wasting is a feature of sarcopenia, a known determinant of patient outcomes. This is the first description of a relationship between obesity, subjective global assessment (SGA) of nutritional status and muscle wasting in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: The relationship between body mass index (BMI with obesity defined as &#8805; 30 kg/m²), nutritional status (assessed by liver-specific subjective global assessment&#8212;SGA) and muscle wasting (assessed by corrected total cross-sectional psoas muscle area&#8212;cTPA) was analysed in patients with cirrhosis considered for liver transplantation between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014. Results: There were 205 patients, of whom 70% were males. The mean age was 52 &#177; 0.7 years and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was 16.8 &#177; 0.5. Overall, 31% of patients were obese and 56% of well-nourished (SGA A) individuals were obese. Muscle wasting was identified in 86% of all patients, irrespective of their nutritional status (A, B, C). All obese males classified as well-nourished (SGA A) were sarcopenic and 62% of obese females classified as SGA A were sarcopenic. Muscle wasting was worse in obese individuals (cTPA 230.9 mm²/m² &#177; 12.9, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) and more likely to be associated with hepatic encephalopathy (<i>p</i> = 0.03). Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated testosterone deficiency was significantly associated with muscle wasting (<i>p</i> = 0.007) but not obesity (<i>p</i> = 0.8). Conclusion: Obesity combined with muscle wasting is common in patients with cirrhosis. Muscle wasting is common in well-nourished (SGA A) obese patients. Consequently, all patients assessed for liver transplantation should undergo additional screening for malnutrition and muscle wasting irrespective of BMI.