When it comes to understanding your overall health, fitness and performance, weight is only one piece of the puzzle. Go beyond the number on the scale with GE Healthcare’s body composition scanning.
A DXA body composition scan measures body fat, lean tissue, bone and visceral fat to help you better understand what your body is made of and how it may be changing over time.
Whether you’re focused on healthy weight management, building muscle, improving athletic performance or gaining more meaningful wellness information, DXA body composition scanning delivers insights that a traditional scale or Body Mass Index (BMI) cannot.
No physician referral is required!
What Is DXA Body Composition Scanning?
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) uses a very small amount of X-ray energy to measure different types of tissue throughout the body.
Unlike a traditional scale, which only measures weight, a DXA body composition scan distinguishes between fat mass, lean tissue and bone. It can also provide measurements for individual areas of the body, including the arms, legs and trunk, to help establish a baseline and track changes over time.
What Does a DXA Body Composition Scan Measure?
Your scan can provide detailed information including:
- Total body fat mass and body fat percentage
- Lean tissue mass
- Bone mass
- Regional fat and lean tissue measurements
- Fat distribution throughout the body
- Changes in body composition over time
- Visceral fat measurements using CoreScan™ technology
Together, these measurements provide a more complete view of what is changing within your body, not simply whether your overall weight has increased or decreased.
Who Can Benefit from Body Composition Scanning?
DXA body composition scanning may be useful for adults who want to better understand or monitor changes related to the following.
High-Performance Athletics
- Track changes in lean tissue, body fat and regional body composition to gain a more detailed view of how your body is responding to training and nutrition.
Fitness and Strength Training
- Measure changes in muscle and body fat as your exercise, strength training or nutrition routine evolves.
Weight Management
- See whether changes on the scale are coming from body fat, lean tissue or both during a weight-management program.
Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes
- Establish a baseline and compare future scans to better understand how changes in diet, exercise or other wellness efforts are affecting your body composition.
Overall Health and Wellness
- Gain objective measurements of body composition and fat distribution that go beyond weight and BMI alone.
Understanding Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is stored deeper within the abdominal area around the internal organs. Using GE HealthCare’s CoreScan™ technology, a DXA body composition scan estimates visceral adipose tissue in the abdominal region. This provides additional information about fat distribution and metabolic health that cannot be determined from weight or BMI alone.
What to Expect During Your DXA Body Composition Scan
A DXA body composition scan is fast and noninvasive. During the exam, you will lie comfortably on the scanning table while the DXA system measures your body composition.
The scan uses a very low level of radiation and provides detailed measurements that can serve as a baseline or be compared with future scans to monitor changes over time.
Get a More Complete Picture of Your Body
Whether your goals involve performance, strength, weight management or overall wellness, DXA body composition scanning can help you better understand the changes taking place within your body.
Contact Midstate Radiology Associates to schedule your DXA Body Composition Scan.
No physician referral is required!
