could a DEXA scan be innacurate?

pizzicarella
pizzicarella Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
it's been a while since I came on here!

I recently took part in a medical study about insulin resistance/fitness, and was told that I have 47% body fat (DEXA scan). I am really dumbfounded by this as my BMI is 21.8, and I am fairly active - I walk everywhere, I have two or three dedicated work-outs a week, and I work as a waitress. I don't think I am fat at all. I want to lose some weight, because *I* think I have fat upper arms, but that wouldn't explain such a high body fat percentage. Plus the same researchers measured my body fat as 28% with calipers.... which sounds more "correct" to me. But, a DEXA scan is more accurate??

All of my other health indicators were normal, or better than average. For example, my fasting blood sugar level is 4.9 mmol/L, my total cholesterol was 4.75mmol/L (LDL was 1.2!!!). My thyroid function is normal too. The only "problem" I have is with my blood pressure/heart rate which is normally 90/58 with resting pulse invariably being in the nineties.

Oh yeah - female, nineteen :P

I guess the question is: could the result be incorrect?

Replies

  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Best answer I could find:
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=260

    Some medical studies could be done by students which could cause inaccuracy, etc.
  • maracuya23
    maracuya23 Posts: 122
    Did you ask the researchers why there was such a large discrepancy between the two body fat estimation methods they used on you? They might want to rerun, as that DEXA scan sounds like it was miscalibrated.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    DEXA scans suffer from the same hydration-level issues as other measurement techniques. For a discrepancy that big, I'd be asking for a refund, TBH.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Something doesn't sound right. With a BMI that you have (in the normal range) I cannot see it possible that you can possibly be in that body fat % range.
  • mekobaby
    mekobaby Posts: 11
    A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density in your hip and spine. It does not measure body fat.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density in your hip and spine. It does not measure body fat.
    This. The body fat part is just a "guess" basically.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density in your hip and spine. It does not measure body fat.

    It does measure bone density but can also measure total body composition and fat content.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    A DEXA scan measures bone mineral density in your hip and spine. It does not measure body fat.
    This. The body fat part is just a "guess" basically.

    Ahh, see I thought it was recommended as a more accurate way.

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