Dexa Scans ?!

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13inchestogo
13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone on this site ever had one? I am considering paying the $100 to get it done then $90 for a follow up in 5-6 months. I have ALWAYS been curious to know my exact body fat % vs lean muscle mass % and I heard getting a Dexa scan is one of the most accurate ways to get that tested!

Has anyone who has had this done found that your readings from the Scan matched a scales reading or a caliper's reading?
For those who've had it done would you recommend it to others?
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Replies

  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    Any body out there ? :)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I'm curious... but not ~$200 curious. I can find a lot better uses for the cash.
  • schmenge55
    schmenge55 Posts: 745 Member
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    I have always been curious to do this and just have not. I think unless what I saw shocked me I am not sure I would do anything differently. So you have to ask yourself what you would do with the info. Still, I should look at see where near me I could get this done. Years ago I did the water fat percentage test. It was about what I had guessed anyway :).
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    I'm curious... but not ~$200 curious. I can find a lot better uses for the cash.

    Yeah it's pricey!! I still live at home and don't have many set destinations for my money, I'm just so darn curious!

    @schmenge55, Yeah I guess shock factor is a big motivation alot of the time! I suppose I am just wondering if maybe my fat percent is alot higher then what my scale tends to tell me! Hmmm, I'll be thinking on this one.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    I'm curious... but not ~$200 curious. I can find a lot better uses for the cash.

    Avi pic is new, yeah? Lookin' hot!

    I am also curious, bod pod is generally cheaper and has a similar accuracy rate. You could check with research institutions to see if they need volunteers for any studies or for students to get practice, sometimes that's cheaper. Also, I've seen a groupon deal for a scan.
  • schmenge55
    schmenge55 Posts: 745 Member
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    You made me look lol. More interesting than I thought. But the office is deep I Chicago so my real barrier is do I want to go all the way in for this? I think if it were closer I would do it just to know :)
    I'm curious... but not ~$200 curious. I can find a lot better uses for the cash.

    Yeah it's pricey!! I still live at home and don't have many set destinations for my money, I'm just so darn curious!

    @schmenge55, Yeah I guess shock factor is a big motivation alot of the time! I suppose I am just wondering if maybe my fat percent is alot higher then what my scale tends to tell me! Hmmm, I'll be thinking on this one.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    I am also curious, bod pod is generally cheaper and has a similar accuracy rate. You could check with research institutions to see if they need volunteers for any studies or for students to get practice, sometimes that's cheaper. Also, I've seen a groupon deal for a scan.

    Thank you !!! :D That is very helpful, I haven't thought about going to find a place that needs volunteers for that... :) Hmmm hope there are some places around that do! Yes I have heard of bod pods, they sound good for that kind of stuff too.
  • imaginec
    imaginec Posts: 18 Member
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    I thought Dexa scans were for bone density.? Never heard of one being for fat/muscle.
  • missym357
    missym357 Posts: 210 Member
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    I had one- it was 75 bucks. I was in disbelief after a trainer gave me a caliper bf percentage. I was curious about how accurate it was. Bf calculators online were very different from the caliper measurement. So I did it and the caliper reading was only off by a couple tenths of a percentage point. It was very cool too because it broke down my body comp by body region. It also gives you a pretty picture of your bones and gave a bone density measurement. Overall I was glad I did it!
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    I thought Dexa scans were for bone density.? Never heard of one being for fat/muscle.

    They can be done for both :)
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    I had one- it was 75 bucks. I was in disbelief after a trainer gave me a caliper bf percentage. I was curious about how accurate it was. Bf calculators online were very different from the caliper measurement. So I did it and the caliper reading was only off by a couple tenths of a percentage point. It was very cool too because it broke down my body comp by body region. It also gives you a pretty picture of your bones and gave a bone density measurement. Overall I was glad I did it!

    Glad you had a positive experience with it, yeah as soon as I save up the money I am definitely wanting to go and get it done!! I'd love to see a real visual of where exactly my fat and muscle is and how much I have and all those details!!
  • karynspeace
    karynspeace Posts: 132
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    I thought Dexa scans were for bone density.? Never heard of one being for fat/muscle.

    They can be done for both :)

    DEXA is most often performed to check your bone density - Insurance tends to cover it for this purpose only. It can also be done for body fat percentage, but honestly, it is a sales pitch gimmick. Utilize calipers and save yourself the cash. Plus to see your results on a graph is, well, frankly, it is disgusting.
  • __flexylexi
    __flexylexi Posts: 154 Member
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    I have done it a few times. My university has an extensive exercise science program and we have a DXA machine that they offer free analysis for students and 50 for alumni. I am an avid runner and my legs are extremely muscular, unlike the rest of my body. My tape and caliper tests show 18-22%, but when I did the DXA, it was 26%. Big difference, but more accurate. They found less than 4% fat on my legs and most my fat in abdomen and upper extremities. I think caliper/tape/calculators are so inaccurate. I don't think I would pay 200 though. Maybe as a baseline.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    Wow! Yeah it's strange how inaccurate calipurs can be versus other methods. Cool to see where you keep all your fat too I think! The whole reason I decided to ask about other experience with Dexa scans is because I phoned my local gym asking if I could get tested for body fat there with a calipur and the lady told me that I would be better off (if I didn't mind spending the cash) to go get a Dexa scan done because of how accurate they are in comparison.

    Yeah it is pretty pricey though, hoping to find somewhere cheaper maybe. I really want to see the real picture of all my fat and muscle, I find it so interesting!
  • sheppeyescapee
    sheppeyescapee Posts: 329 Member
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    I had one done a couple of years ago but it was for bone density purposes only as people with my disability are more prone to osteoperosis. Luckily for now mine was pretty good at +1.8. Didn't know they could be used for body fat.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    Yeah they seem to serve multiple purposes! Good to hear your bones are getting stronger!
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    Just a question I would want to be asked - what will you do with the information ? If you are going to change something in what you do and you can justify the fact you are spending your hard earned cash to achieve this change then go for it. If you are just going to write the number down in a book then for me it isn't worth it.
  • singledj
    singledj Posts: 147 Member
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    I thought Dexa scans were for bone density.? Never heard of one being for fat/muscle.


    This is true.. I use to work in Radiology. Never heard of a dexa scan measuring body fat/muscle ratio. There is a scan for that just not a dexa scan.
  • 13inchestogo
    13inchestogo Posts: 296 Member
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    Just a question I would want to be asked - what will you do with the information ? If you are going to change something in what you do and you can justify the fact you are spending your hard earned cash to achieve this change then go for it. If you are just going to write the number down in a book then for me it isn't worth it.

    Ooooooohhhh HECK yea lol. It would be a giant motivation for me to see my fat from the inside and my muscle and visualize how my body could look if I just erased all that extra chub. Kind of exciting to me! I just wanted to see if any other MFP'ers have undergone one in the past or are looking to aswell. Before a couple days ago I was unaware that such a scan even existed! So yes for me personally I do believe this would be a major help in increasing my motivation! Just wish I was richer lol..

    My current scale reading is 29 percent so if I was to get one I would like to see how off it was or maybe even how correct it was? Even if the readings do come out the same, this scan produces cool information on fat percentage according to each region in my body aswell. I'm thinking it's my hips that are like 100 percent of my fat lol.
  • Andybeth
    Andybeth Posts: 18 Member
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    I was told by my Doc that the DexaScan which is easily available for bone density does not give a body fat reading. You have to have a special one for that and no one in my area is offering that. So make sure you get the right scan. It's quick and easy for bone density.

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