A body composition scan is a simple scan that measures your percentage of lean muscle and fat.
The scan is conducted with a part of the scanner moving up and down the padded table on which you are lying. The scan only takes around 5 minutes. You remain fully clothed throughout the examination.
How Does Body Composition Scan Work?
Body Composition uses a DEXA scanner (Dual Energy X-ray Absorption) DEXA works by passing two very low dose x-ray beams at differing energy levels through the tissues of the body.
Fat, muscle and bone each have different levels of absorption due to their unique densities. It is these factors which allow the DEXA to calculate relative masses of each tissue type in each region of your body (trunk, arms and legs).
A body composition scan:
- Is accurate to the gram, and is the quickest and easiest way to monitor the progress of your weight-loss or training regime
- Delivers both fat and lean muscle percentages
- Provide regional data, including arms, legs, and trunk
- Enables reproducible results, meaning your progress can be tracked with the highest accuracy possible
- Individualised target levels for fat and lean tissue mass can be generated from the scan data
Why should I have a DEXA scan?
If you are serious about your fitness or weight-loss program, you need to have a baseline to determine your progress.
Along with advice from your personal trainer, dietitian or exercise physiologist, a body composition scan will provide you with the information you need to help you achieve your goals.
What do the results tell me?
Our body composition scanning system accurately measures lean muscle and fat percentage for the whole body or individual regions. The scan will also enable you to asses the effectiveness of diet and training programs with truly accurate scientific data.
Compare the scans in the images above right to see how a body composition scan can give you vital information to better understand your body profile. The ‘green’ is fat and the ‘blue’ is muscle.
The five scans show the progression of lessening fat and increasing muscle as a result of training and diet. Regular scans are a very tangible way to monitor progress and stay motivated.
Is it safe?
DEXA scans are very safe. The radiation dose is extremely low and is less than naturally occurring radiation encountered in day to day living. Please note, while DEXA scans are safe, they can not be performed on children under 16 or if you are pregnant.

More Information for Patients: www.insideradiology.com.au/bone-mineral-density-scan/
Information for Health Professionals: www.insideradiology.com.au/bone-mineral-density-scan-hp/