DEXA BODY SCANS
LOSE FAT & GAIN MUSCLE
BASED ON PRECISE
DEXA ANALYSIS
Your blueprint for a better healthspan in just 4 minutes
A DEXA scan will enable you to be healthier today and improve longevity and healthspan in later life.
FAT LOSS
The post-DEXA scan consultation will tell you how much fat you have now, how much you need to lose, the calories you should consume every day and how long it will take to get there.
VISCERAL FAT
Visceral fat is ‘bad’ fat around your organs and increases your risk of diabetes and other diseases. The DEXA scan will assess your risk and how much you need to shift for a better healthspan.
MUSCLE GAIN
How long you live is highly correlated with how much muscle mass you have. The DEXA scan will measure how much lean mass you have now and what you need to do to improve.
See what a private DEXA body scan will do for you
Bodyscan has the UK’s biggest DEXA body composition dataset, from more than 17,000 scans. We use it to give the clearest interpretation of your DEXA report and precise targets for fat and lean mass.
“I knew I was not in a good place but didn’t know what that actually meant or how I compared to other men my age.
“Bodyscan gave me the kick-start I needed – an accurate, non-judgmental assessment, information and advice to start turning things around, and hard data to keep me on track.”
Just five months after his first visit to Bodyscan, Jinal, 38, had lost over 25kg of body fat and more than halved his visceral fat.
“We are really adamant that our patients get DEXA scans at least once a year. I think this is a very important thing to be doing.”
Dr Peter Attia, author Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
The Baseline DEXA scan in London gives all the indices advised in Outlive
- Fast, 4-minute private DEXA body scan
- In-depth, personalised face-to-face consultation
- Fat and lean mass measured precise to a gram
- Fat Mass Index (FMI), Lean Mass Index (LMI), Appendicular Lean Mass Index (ALMI)
- Visceral fat and risk level
- Fat and muscle distribution
- Indication of bone mineral density (BMD)
- Resting metabolic rate (RMR)
- Your daily calorie requirement
- Recommended daily deficit (or surplus for lean gain)
- Realistic specific fat-loss targets and timeline
- Nutrition and workout advice
- 60-minute appointment
Save money with a pre-paid package
Without interpretation, a DEXA scan report is just numbers. It’s the expertise, knowledge and advice in every post-scan consultation that makes the Bodyscan experience so valuable.
“The Bodyscan consultation was a really positive experience. It was great to have a visual on my body composition, which gave me the motivation to make a change.
“Bodyscan gave great advice regarding calorie intake and a realistic timeline, which helped massively with my biggest challenges of eating healthily and taking things at a steady pace.”
In exactly one year, Bodyscan customer Idelkys, 40, halved her body fat from 32.7kg to just 16.5kg and reduced her visceral fat by 64%.
Customers consistently say that the Bodyscan experience exceeds their expectations.
Because DEXA measures body fat and lean mass separately, we can use the best method for calculating the calories you need for fat loss, muscle gain or body recomposition. And then track the changes precisely.
“Paired with eating more cleanly and adhering to a regular exercise regime, the scans allowed me to check that my weight-loss was mostly fat and helped me set the right calorie intake to maintain enough energy to fuel my training.”
Six months after his first body scan, Nathan, 33, had achieved true body recomposition – fat loss of 3kg and muscle gain of 1.5kg.
Most people come to Bodyscan to discover their body fat percentage.
But BF% is NOT the best number for measuring your fat. Say hello to your Fat Mass Index.
The Bodyscan guides to Fat Loss & Muscle Gain!
Start your journey now with our FREE guides
and 10% off your Baseline DEXA scan!
Bodyscan has been awarded a ‘Good’ rating from the CQC, demonstrating high standards of performance, safety and customer care. Rest assured you are in great hands.
Below are some of the most frequent questions we get asked. You can also search our FAQs or use the ‘Search Bodyscan’ box at the bottom.
What is a DEXA scan?
A DEXA body scan uses a very low dose of X-rays (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) to provide an accurate and precise measurement of your body composition. It is a medical-grade technology that was initially developed to measure bone density and is now universally regarded as the gold standard for measuring body composition (body fat, lean mass and bone). Read more detail here.
What is the procedure when having a DEXA scan?
The scan is quick and easy with no intervention and there is no claustrophobia. You lie on a padded mattress for just four minutes while the scanning arm makes three passes over your body. The scanning arm remains about 30cm from your body and the bed is completely open – there is no confined ‘doughnut’ or chamber that you go into as there is with a CT scanner or MRI scanner.
Does the DEXA scan give the same information advised by Peter Attia in ‘Outlive’?
Yes, absolutely. Dr Attia advises collection of Visceral Fat (VAT, visceral adipose tissue), Lean Mass Index (LMI), Appendicular Lean Mass Index (ALMI) and Bone Density (BMD, bone mineral density). Note that BMD is an indication, assessed as an average across the whole body. Check out our Peter Attia DEXA videos on our video page and YouTube Channel.
What does a DEXA scan tell me?
A DEXA scan will reveal your body composition in great detail, showing fat and muscle mass and their distribution, as well as a good indication (a ‘scan lite’) of your bone density. You’ll get a printed and PDF report and we’ll go through it with you in great detail and tell you what it all means for you. You’ll also get some detailed explanatory notes you can refer to so you don’t have to remember everything!
How do I read my DEXA scan report?
You don’t have to worry about working out what all the numbers mean because we will do that for you. We’ll also plot your results against those of thousands of Bodyscan clients of your sex and age groups to give results context. Bodyscan has the biggest DEXA body composition database in the UK (and, we think, Europe), with more than 17,000 scans performed over eight years. Check out DEXA information video on the need for interpretation.
Does a DEXA scan measure bone density as well as body composition?
DEXA has two uses and modalities, to measure bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition (fat and lean mass). The latter will provide a good indication of your bone density but it is not a definitive, diagnosable result. If you are primarily concerned about your bone density then you should get a BMD scan either by asking your doctor or searching Google for ‘DEXA scan near me’. Watch our DEXA information video on bone density.
How accurate is a DEXA scan for body fat?
DEXA is the gold standard for measuring body fat but every measurement method is essentially a prediction of what we would find if we performed an autopsy. Every method will give you a different result because they all ultimately use a different algorithm into which are fed measured data points. While DEXA is considered very accurate, perhaps even more important than accuracy is consistency. Consistency means that even very small changes in body fat will be faithfully recorded. Conversely, it means that recorded changes are real. Because of the volatility and variance of other methods, actual changes may not be picked up and recorded movements in body fat may not have actually occurred. Watch our DEXA information video about consistency and accuracy.
Can I exercise before a DEXA scan?
As with food, we advise minimal exercise before your scan, again to set a standard set of conditions as well as ensure that muscles are not unduly pumped and that you are not breathing heavily when you are on the scanner bed. We want you to be as still as possible.
How much is a DEXA scan in the UK?
If you’re wondering ‘how much is a DEXA fat scan in the UK?’, Bodyscan offers very competitive UK pricing for DEXA body scans. The best value is from our prepaid packages. A VF4 package comprising one Baseline DEXA scan plus three Progress (follow-up) scans provides the best value at just £389 or just £39 per month. If you prefer to try-and-buy, the Baseline scan is £169.
Are DEXA scans safe?
Yes, they are very safe indeed. The risk from the radiation is defined as “negligible” by the government and is equivalent to eating 50g of Brazil nuts. Yes, really! Watch our DEXA information video on safety.
Where can I get a DEXA scan near me or a DEXA scan in London?
Bodyscan has two London clinics – in Marylebone (nearest tubes Baker Street and Regent’s Park) and the City (nearest tubes Bank and Monument). While we don’t have any locations outside London, it’s well worth the trip from wherever you are for the insight you get into your body composition.
How does DEXA compare to bio-impedance scales and skinfold calipers?
DEXA’s strength is its consistency in measuring body fat. DEXA is not subject to human error as is the case with skinfold calipers, nor does hydration affect the result, as it does with bio-impedance scales. Most people who use calipers are not qualified to use them and pinching just a centimetre away from the required spot will throw the result way off. Bio-impedance devices work by measuring resistance to a small electrical current, when is then extrapolated to estimate body water and then again to estimate fat. DEXA is much more reliable than those measurement methods.
How do I arrange a DEXA scan?
You can arrange a DEXA scan with Bodyscan very easily. All our bookings are taken online and takes just a couple of minutes. Your first DEXA scan should be the Baseline, subsequent scans to track changes in your body composition should all be Progress scans. If you want the best value, buy a prepaid package. Once purchased, sign in and book the first scan.
Can a DEXA scan show fatty liver?
A DEXA scan report is primarily numbers, and requires the skill of Bodyscan’s consultants to interpret and explain it. A DEXA scan does not provide the granularity to show the state of individual organs, but it will show how much visceral fat you have and your risk level. Visceral fat is directly associated with liver inflammation.
Can I eat before a DEXA scan?
We recommend that you do not eat, or eat light, for four hours before your scan. This is to ensure you do not have a big meal passing through your system – we want to measure you rather than what you eat! However, you will always have food in your gut – the reason for the 4-hour fast is to set a standard that helps ensure a consistent physiological state each time you have a DEXA scan.
How frequently can I have a DEXA scan?
The minimum time between scans is eight weeks but unless you are on an ambitious fat-loss programme we recommend every 12 weeks – long enough for something to have changed and also long enough for you to be confident that the regimen is sustainable and that you can keep it up. Watch our DEXA information video on frequency.
What should I wear for a DEXA scan?
Most men have the scan in their underwear, though if you prefer you can ask for a hospital gown. Bodyscan’s DEXA consultants are currently all male, so most men feel very comfortable wearing just their underwear.
Most women having a DEXA scan change into a supplied hospital gown in a curtained changing area for privacy. Underneath the gown you can wear a sports bra and underpants.
Alternatively, and to save changing, you can wear loose-fitting sports clothing such as cotton shorts and a loose-fitting sports top.
Please check our FAQs first!
Our FAQs give info on Prices, Making a Booking, Having the Scan and Prepaid Packages.