Obesity has reached a point where it’s considered a pandemic. According to research, more than half of the global population is trying to lose weight at any given point in time. When obesity poses a health risk, doctors and patients can work together to reduce weight. In some cases, weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy will be used. The metrics that doctors rely on to determine the success of these weight loss drugs is usually BMI and body weight, but there are limitations to these metrics. The DEXA scan is a much better alternative to get a more detailed picture of the progress, specifically when it comes to preventing muscle loss and potential decrease in bone density.

Current Metrics Used to Determine the Efficacy of Weight Loss Drugs

When a doctor prescribes a weight loss drug like Ozempic, they need to continuously monitor the progress of the treatment plan. The drug itself is only one of many interventions that someone will need to follow.

In addition to the drug, there are some lifestyle changes to make. This includes adopting a healthy diet and exercising on a regular basis.

To measure the success of these interventions, a doctor tracks certain metrics. For a very long time, these metrics included someone’s weight. If the number on the scale is lower than the previous weigh-in session, then Ozempic or another weight loss drug is considered successful.

Many doctors would also calculate the body mass index, or BMI, of the person, and use it as an additional metric to determine how successful the treatment program is.

The Use of BMI and its Limitations

While BMI and body weight provide a good overview of how a one progresses with their weight loss program, there are limitations.

Researchers have found that BMI is not consistent. Factors like age, ethnicity, and gender are not taken into consideration when calculating BMI. It’s also important to understand that body mass index doesn’t provide specific details about fat, lean, and bone mass. This means it’s not a good measurement to determine disease risk.

With these limitations in mind, BMI is not a measurement that provides a complete and accurate overview of how successful these weight loss drugs are.

Switching to DEXA Scans to Measure the Success of Weight Loss Drugs

DEXA scans have been around for a while. The use of these scans provides a detailed overview of one’s bone mass, which makes it a great choice for determining the severity and progression of bone diseases.

However, these scans can also offer a detailed overview of body composition. When someone uses a DEXA scan, they can see the distribution of fat, lean, and bone mass.

The detailed results of a DEXA scan make it a more effective way of obtaining metrics to determine how well weight loss drugs and obesity interventions are working. 

What Does a DEXA Scan Offer Compared to BMI Measurements?

Understanding what DEXA scans offer and what someone should expect from this imaging test is important, especially compared to metrics like BMI and overall body weight.

A DEXA scan offers the following details:

●      Body fat percentage

●      Body fat distribution

●      Visceral fat

●      Bone density

●      Mass breakdown

●      Body mass index

This is a much more detailed view of a one’s body composition, which helps show how fat is distributed throughout the body. This includes a view of the your visceral fat, which is the fat that collects in the abdomen, also considered to be especially dangerous.

Something to keep in mind here is that drugs like Ozempic can cause a someone to lose muscle at an alarming rate, which can be detrimental for health. When it comes to weight loss, the goal is to reduce fat mass and maintain as much lean mass as possible. BMI won’t tell you how this drug and other interventions affect individual body mass, but the DEXA scan can. This means you are able to get a good idea of how well their weight loss program works and make changes if there’s a loss of lean mass throughout your journey.

How DEXA Scans Can Be Interpreted to Determine Weight Loss Drug Efficiency

The first DEXA scan can offer an overview of one’s current situation as a baseline measurement. It also helps to determine how fat is distributed.

At this point, someone can start using the weight loss drug and implement other interventions, such as alterations to their diet and starting with an exercise plan.

When the you go for a follow-up DEXA scan, it’s going to show more than just weight. With the new scan, you’ll see how your body fat percentage has changed. They can also get a better view of how visceral fat has changed, and track lean and bone mass while trying to determine how well the weight loss program has worked.

This is also where DEXA scans are superior to BMI. With BMI, all three masses (lean, fat, and bone mass) are measured together. With a DEXA scan, however, these three masses are reported individually.

When someone starts to exercise more, they may start to notice an increase in lean mass. This is considered good, as lean mass has been linked to a faster metabolism and a reduction in the risk of metabolic disorders.

A DEXA scan with Fitnescity will provide someone easy access to their previous results. This helps them and their doctor work closely together and have measurable metrics that they can compare to determine if the weight loss drug and other interventions are working well.

Final Thoughts

While getting on a scale and determining your BMI offers figures to work with, the limitations make it hard to understand how effective weight loss drugs are. With DEXA scans, doctors and patients can get a much more detailed view of body composition and see exactly how effective an obesity treatment plan is. With this in mind, practitioners should consider adding DEXA scans to these treatment programs instead of solely focusing on the one’s weight and BMI.

References

https://business.yougov.com/content/44057-52-worlds-adults-trying-lose-weight

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594362/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519042/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661116/