Monitoring progress toward your weight-loss goals
Stepping on the scale or having your body mass index (BMI) measured are common ways to measure your health. These measurements, however, cannot always give a precise reading of your overall health.
The Lifestyle Medicine & Weight Management Clinic at Fairview Clinics – Wyoming now offers body composition testing with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Scans done with DXA provide accurate and precise measurements of total body, regional bone mineral density and body composition, including bone mineral content, lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and percentage of fat to give you the full picture of your current health.
How body composition testing works
Body composition testing with DEXA is done by using small amounts of X-ray to create a full-body image. The image is created by the way your body absorbs the X-ray. The X-ray has two different energy levels that are absorbed differently by bone, lean and fat tissues. DEXA reads these absorption levels and can then give an accurate representation of your current body composition.
What the DEXA body composition can do:
To have a DEXA scan you must weigh 350 pounds or less.
Location
What you can expect during the procedure
The DEXA examination table is padded and comfortable. When you have your body composition test, you can keep your clothing on, but prior to the test you might be asked to remove metals such as jewelry and belts. The test itself takes about 10 minutes and is pain-free.
Test Results
Once your test is complete, you will receive results outlining your:
When body composition testing is done on a regular basis, results can be monitored to understand how changes in diet, lifestyle, exercise, or other interventions are influencing your body composition.
Stepping on the scale or having your body mass index (BMI) measured are common ways to measure your health. These measurements, however, cannot always give a precise reading of your overall health. The Lifestyle Medicine & Weight Management Clinic at Fairview Clinics – Wyoming now offers body composition testing with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Scans done with DXA provide accurate and precise measurements of total body, regional bone mineral density and body composition, including bone mineral content, lean tissue mass, fat tissue mass, and percentage of fat to give you the full picture of your current health.
How body composition testing works
Body composition testing with DEXA is done by using small amounts of X-ray to create a full-body image. The image is created by the way your body absorbs the X-ray. The X-ray has two different energy levels that are absorbed differently by bone, lean and fat tissues. DEXA reads these absorption levels and can then give an accurate representation of your current body composition.
What the DEXA body composition can do:
- Body composition analysis
- Whole-body and regional measurements of lean, fat and bone
- Monitor and trend your weight loss results
To have a DEXA scan you must weigh 350 pounds or less.
Location
Fairview Clinics – Wyoming
5200 Fairview Blvd.
Wyoming, MN 55092
(located within Fairview Lakes Medical Center)
What you can expect during the procedure
The DEXA examination table is padded and comfortable. When you have your body composition test, you can keep your clothing on, but prior to the test you might be asked to remove metals such as jewelry and belts. The test itself takes about 10 minutes and is pain-free.
Test Results
Once your test is complete, you will receive results outlining your:
- Percentage of body fat
- Fat mass
- Lean muscle mass
- Bone mineral density (BMD)
When body composition testing is done on a regular basis, results can be monitored to understand how changes in diet, lifestyle, exercise, or other interventions are influencing your body composition.
