What's a DEXA scan? How does it work? What are the benefits? Where to get a DEXA body composition scan?

Definition

Body composition measurement with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is often considered to be the new "Gold Standard" in body fat testing.

Benefits

A DEXA scan requires medical supervision by a radiologist and is used increasingly for a variety of clinical, research and commercial applications.  Total body scans using DEXA give accurate and precise measurements of body composition, including bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and fractional contribution of fat.

The estimation of body fat from body density (by means of underwater weighing) was accepted as the "gold standard" for many decades. Some researchers now claim that whole body scanning techniques (e.g. "DEXA") are the new "gold standard."

DEXA measurements are also considered highly reproducible if the same type of machine is used, making them great for monitoring pharmaceutical therapy, nutritional or exercise intervention, sports training and or other body composition altering programs. They are also fast, simple and non-invasive. While DEXA scans do expose the subject to a low level of x-rays, this level is considered to be less than that of a cross-country flight.

DEXA exams provide both total body and up to 14 regional (trunk, individual arms & legs, android, gynoid, etc.) results.

Learn more about other methods for measuring body fat.