When it comes to understanding your body, there’s no shortage of tools and tech promising quick answers. Among the most common are impedance scales—those smart-looking gadgets that claim to measure your fat, muscle, and water content in seconds. But while they may look the part and seem reassuringly scientific, the reality is far less impressive.
So, if you’ve ever stepped on one of those scales and thought, “That can’t be right,” you’re probably spot on. In this blog, we’ll explore why impedance scales can be wildly misleading, what makes DEXA scans the gold standard, and how BodyScan’s BodyCompPro reports can finally give you the full picture.
The Limitations of Impedance Scales
Impedance scales work by sending a small electrical current through your body and measuring how quickly it travels. Because water conducts electricity and fat resists it, the scale attempts to estimate your body composition based on the speed of the current. It all sounds quite high-tech—but in practice, the accuracy is highly questionable.
The main issue? The results can swing dramatically depending on everyday variables. For instance, if you're dehydrated, the scale may interpret your body as having more fat and less muscle than it actually does. Conversely, if you've just had a large glass of water or a salty meal, you may seem heavier or more muscular than you truly are. Even the time of day and whether you’ve exercised recently can skew the results.
These devices also fail to account for how fat is distributed throughout the body. You could have a healthy weight but carry a dangerous amount of visceral fat (more on that later), or you might have a lot of muscle mass that gets mistaken for excess fat. Either way, the readings you get can be not only inaccurate but also misleading—and possibly disheartening.
The False Confidence of Impedance Readings
Perhaps the most misleading part of all is the illusion of precision. Impedance scales often deliver results with decimal points and fancy graphs that make them appear reliable. You might step off thinking you’ve gained 0.3 kg of fat and lost 0.1 kg of muscle overnight—but the truth is, the fluctuation could be entirely down to your hydration level or the position of your feet.
These frequent inconsistencies can erode confidence and lead you down the wrong path. People often change their diet or exercise routines based on these readings—cutting calories too sharply, overtraining, or chasing numbers that simply aren’t accurate. Rather than empowering you with knowledge, impedance scales can leave you second-guessing your progress or, worse, your health.
And Then There’s BMI...
The situation gets even murkier when Body Mass Index (BMI) enters the equation. Many impedance scales use your BMI as a foundation for their readings, further compounding their inaccuracy. BMI is calculated using your height and weight alone—it doesn’t distinguish between fat and muscle.
This means a professional rugby player with a strong, muscular build could be labelled “obese” under BMI, while a sedentary individual with low muscle mass but a high body fat percentage might be classified as “healthy”. When impedance readings are built upon this flawed model, the results are even more distorted. You’re essentially getting layers of guesswork dressed up as science.
The DEXA Difference: True Precision, No Guesswork
So what’s the alternative? Enter DEXA—short for Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. This gold-standard method uses low-dose X-rays to scan your body and produce a detailed breakdown of your composition: fat, lean tissue, and bone.
Unlike impedance scales, DEXA scans are not influenced by hydration, food intake, or your last workout. Whether you’re retaining water or running on an empty stomach, the scan will still provide consistent, reliable results. It’s the same technology used in medical and sports science fields and trusted by elite athletes, physiologists, and healthcare professionals worldwide.
DEXA scans go beyond just giving you a fat percentage. They break your body down into regions, showing how fat and muscle are distributed across your arms, legs, trunk, and hips. This is crucial information—not only for athletes and gym-goers but also for anyone concerned with health, mobility, or ageing well.
Spotting Muscle Imbalances and Symmetry
One of the major benefits of a DEXA scan that often goes unnoticed is its ability to spot muscle symmetry. This means you can see how your muscle mass is distributed between the left and right sides of your body.
If you’ve had an injury, favour one side in your workouts, or simply have a dominant arm or leg, a DEXA scan will pick this up. These imbalances can affect your performance, posture, and even increase your risk of injury. Having accurate data allows you—and your coach or physio—to correct these issues with targeted training. It’s the kind of insight you just can’t get from a bathroom scale.
Subcutaneous vs Visceral Fat – The Hidden Risks
A DEXA scan doesn’t just show how much fat you have; it tells you what kind of fat you’re carrying and where it’s located. This includes the difference between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.
Subcutaneous fat is the stuff you can pinch—the soft layer that sits just beneath your skin. It’s the kind most people are concerned with from a cosmetic point of view. While it’s not ideal in excess, it’s generally less harmful than visceral fat.
Visceral fat, on the other hand, is the more dangerous kind. It’s stored deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your organs like your liver and pancreas. You can’t see it or touch it, but it’s closely linked with increased risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers. DEXA scans allow you to identify and monitor this internal fat, helping you reduce your risk factors before they become critical health concerns.
Classic Calibration – Why It Matters
One of the reasons DEXA scans are so trustworthy is because they rely on classic calibration techniques. This means every scan is performed using the same scientific standards used in clinical and academic research—ensuring consistency and reliability every time.
It’s not a marketing gimmick or a trend—it’s real science. When you team that with BodyScan’s exclusive BodyCompPro reports, you gain a holistic and deeply insightful view of your body’s condition. This is a level of data that’s usually reserved for elite athletes or patients in a medical setting, now available to you.
Exclusive BodyCompPro Reports – Everything You Need to Know
After your scan at BodyScan, you’ll receive a detailed BodyCompPro report—your personal blueprint for health and performance. These reports go beyond basic data and provide easy-to-understand visuals, breakdowns, and comparisons that allow you to see trends over time.
You’ll learn your total fat percentage, lean mass, bone density, visceral fat level, and even muscle distribution by limb and region. You can set goals, monitor your training progress, and track improvements in specific areas—whether you’re targeting fat loss, muscle gain, or injury recovery.
This is not just a report—it’s a strategy sheet for your future health.
Why BodyScan?
At BodyScan, we do more than just perform DEXA scans. We interpret the data with you, explain what it means, and help you understand how to apply it in real life. Our team is trained not only in scanning, but in helping you translate science into action.
Whether you’re an athlete, someone returning to fitness, or simply curious about what’s going on beneath the surface, we make the data meaningful. We don’t just hand you a number—we help you make sense of it, and use it to make smarter, more effective decisions.
And that’s the key difference. Anyone can give you numbers. We give you insight.
Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using what’s familiar—like the scales you’ve had in your bathroom for years or the BMI chart you remember from school. But your health deserves better than rough guesses.
DEXA scans give you definitive answers. BodyCompPro reports help you understand them. And BodyScan supports you every step of the way.
So if you’re serious about your fitness, health, or simply want to make smarter choices for your future, it’s time to move beyond the guesswork. Choose precision. Choose insight. Choose confidence.
Ready to See the Real You?
Book your DEXA scan with BodyScan today and take the first step towards understanding your body from the inside out. Whether you’re chasing performance, managing your health, or just curious, there’s never been a better time to stop guessing—and start knowing!