A DEXA scan (also called DXA scan), is short for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and it measures the strength and mineral content of the bones in your body. Usually people get them when they’re older to see if they’re at risk for osteoporosis. You can read more about it on the Centers for Disease Control website. However, what the CDC website doesn’t say is that DEXA scans can also provide details about your body composition, showing your percentages of body fat and lean muscle mass.
**DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor and have not consulted my doctor about these results, I’m just a gal who is interested in health and wellness.**
I’m not exactly sure where I first heard about DEXA scans, but I’ve known that bone density loss can be a side effect of the birth control shot, which I’ve been on and off of since college. Because of this, my doctor recommended taking a calcium supplement. I’ve been getting the calcium + vitamin D gummies from Costco for a few years, and I’ve been wondering if my bone density has been affected, so that was my primary motivation for getting the scan. Based on past annual physicals and bloodwork, I knew I didn’t have any serious health issues. From workout classes, I knew where my muscular strength was lacking, but having data couldn’t hurt.
I had never heard of them before, but Xeela is a fitness brand that sells supplements, apparel, and workout plans. Part of their fitness offering now includes DEXA scans at their new facility called LEAN by Xeela in West Hollywood, CA. I originally saw their DEXA scans on ClassPass for 31 credits, which equates to about $63. I wanted to learn more, so I Googled the business and discovered that they were having a deal: one scan for $45 or five scans for $200. According to GoodRx, the average cost of a DEXA scan is $300, so this was a steal. I decided to schedule a scan for Saturday, November 2, and didn’t have to pre-pay.
LEAN by Xeela occupies a small space on Santa Monica Blvd. I arrived 15 minutes early just in case I had to fill out paperwork. I’m not sure where they were advertising this deal, but several other people were also there.
When it was my turn, the receptionist led me into the back room. I took off my jewelry, shoes, and hoodie since it had a metal zipper. I was in leggings and a t-shirt since I had just come from pilates, and I’d recommend wearing athleisure (nothing with metal like jeans, underwire bras, belts, metal snaps, etc.). I laid down on the machine. The receptionist was very particular and had me adjust where I was laying so my feet and head were in the right position.
Then, he started the machine, which scanned over my body from my feet to my head three times: right side, middle, and left side. The scan took about five minutes, but you don’t have to wear a radiation vest like you do for an X-ray.
The receptionist was a young guy and definitely not a doctor. He gave me a printed copy of my results (4 pages) and very briefly went over them, but told me I’d need to Google how to interpret the data. You get what you pay for haha.
LEAN by Xeela has a blog post about how to read their DEXA scan reports (the receptionist didn’t tell me this, I found it myself), but I decided to use Google for this blog post. The following italicized definitions are taken from the UC Davis Health Sports Medicine website.
Total Body Fat Percentage (%BF): The percent of the body that is composed of fat. This will change based on the amount of fat there is as well as the amount of lean mass there is.
- I was at 34.4% body fat.
Fat Mass Index (FMI): The total amount of fat you have (in kilograms) relative to your height (in square meters). It is a measure of how much total fat you have, relative to your size and independent of lean mass.
- My FMI was 7.54
Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT): VAT is a hormonally active component of total body fat. The measurement reflects the amount of internal abdominal fat around the organs. This is different than subcutaneous fat, which lies beneath the skin. Increased VAT has a high correlation to cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk. Current research shows and elevated risk at around 100-160 cm2
- My VAT was 40.4 cm2
Android to Gynoid Ratio: The “apple” to “pear” shape ratio. It describes where the fat is stored. Android (apple shape) refers to having most of the fat around the stomach and mid-section. Gynoid (pear shape) refers to having the fat stored around the hips. A bigger number means more android and a smaller number means more gynoid. From a health risk standpoint, ideal values are believed to be less than 0.8 for women and 1.0 for men.
- My Android/Gynoid Ratio was 0.86
Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI): The amount of mass that is not fat, relative to your height. This includes muscle, bone, organs and connective tissue. It can be used to gauge relative muscle mass in lean individuals.
- My FFMI was 7.54
Appendicular Lean Mass to Height Ratio (ALM/Height2): The amount of lean mass in the arms and legs relative to height. A low ALM/Ht2 is a risk factor for sarcopenia (low muscle mass), primarily in lean individuals. Cut points in research are generally around 5.5 for women and 7.0 for men.
- My appendicular lean mass to height ratio was 5.83
Whole-Body Bone Density: Shows the average bone density for your entire skeleton. It is not a diagnostic scan to assess the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, but can be used to identify systemic (whole-body) issues and track changes over time. The z-score compares your bone density to what is normal for people similar in age and body size. The t-score compares your bone density to that of a 30-year-old. Anything higher than -1.0 is representative of normal bone density. Between -1.0 and -2.5 is a risk for osteopenia. Anything under -2.5 is a risk for osteoporosis. A whole-body scan will not perform a detailed analysis of the fracture risk areas that a diagnostic scan will, and can therefore underestimate risk. We recommend following up with your primary care physician if you have concerns regarding bone density.
- My T-score was -1.1
TAKEAWAYS:
It’s hard to interpret the data since a lot of the benchmarks and research aren’t based on Asian women like myself. However, I am a little concerned about my bone density. It was the one thing that the receptionist (I know he wasn’t a doctor) called out from my results and recommended taking a calcium supplement and doing resistance training. Greek yogurt and cheese are already a part of my weekly grocery staples, but I’ll be adding more spinach and tofu to get more calcium from my food.
More importantly, I already started doing some dumbbell workouts last month (love Caroline Girvan’s videos on YouTube), and this is the final push I needed to get more serious about weightlifting. I would also like to lower my body fat percentage closer to 20-25%, and I think that will be another positive benefit of weightlifting. I will likely start working with a personal trainer in 2025 because I don’t know what I’m doing in the gym. Just another thing I wish they taught you in school! Your health is your wealth!
There was a deal where I could schedule a second scan for $35, so I scheduled a follow-up for next year and hopefully we’ll see some progress!
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