DXA Body Composition / Body Fat Test

The measurement of body fat is more accurate than body weight for assessing health. A person can have a lot of muscle, but be considered “over-weight” by many height/weight charts. The opposite can also be true – a person can have a lot of fat and little muscle and be “over-fat” but not overweight.

Too little body fat is linked to problems with normal, healthy functioning in both men and women. It can also lead to problems with reproduction in women. Too much body fat, especially when located around the abdomen, increases the risk of many diseases, including type II diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and certain cancers. For many athletes, performance is improved with optimal body composition.

Invision Sally Jobe utilizes DXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) technology to assess your body composition. DXA technology is considered to be the gold standard. The instrument uses an X-Ray technique to look at the density of the body and can then estimate the amount of lean and fat tissue. The exam is precise, non-invasive, accurate and reliable.

This page contains the following information about DXA body composition analyses:

Reasons for Having a DXA Body Composition Analysis

By knowing your body fat percentage, and the range it falls in, you can take measures to improve your health and reduce your risk for various diseases.

The following chart shows the classification of body fat percentage ranges for each gender.

Gender Normal Overweight Obese
Adult Male
4-25%
25-30%
>30%
Adult Female
12-29%
29-35%
>35%

Risks Involved in a DXA Body Composition Analysis

There is the risk of radiation exposure; however, it is well below the level that generally causes adverse affects.

Conditions to Let Our Doctor Know About

In advance of your exam, let your Invision Sally Jobe radiologist or technologist know if any of the following circumstances apply to you:

Insurance Coverage

DXA body composition analysis is not usually reimbursed by your insurance company. Payment will normally be an out-of-pocket expense unless you have an insurance approved medical necessity for monitoring your exact body composition.

Exam Locations

A DXA body fat test can be done at the following Invision Sally Jobe locations in the Denver, Colorado area:

Scheduling This Exam

To schedule a DXA body composition analysis, call 720-493-3700. The scheduler will ask you to provide the name of a referring physician.

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Preparation Guidelines

You do not need to do anything in particular to prepare for a body fat test. However, you should not schedule this exam within one week after having an exam that uses barium, a radioisotope injection, or oral or intravenous contrast material (such as an MRI or CT scan).

What to Expect During Your Exam

When you come in for the exam, you will need to remove all jewelry, hair accessories, glasses, and other metal objects as they may interfere will the exam. You will be asked to change into surgical scrubs pants or a hospital gown.

For the exam, you will lie still on a padded table while the DXA unit scans your entire body. The scan is completely painless and will take about 20 minutes to complete.

Recovering from Your Exam

You can return to your normal activities immediately after your DXA body composition analysis.

Getting Your Exam Results

Specially trained radiologists interpret all of our exams. You will not receive your results the day of the exam from the technologist who performs the exam. You will however, receive a letter with the results written in lay language and a report will be sent to the physician who ordered the test. Our radiologists and technologists will be happy to answer questions about the exam procedure itself.

Additional Information

Refer to the following web sites for additional information on body composition analysis.

A DXA body composition analysis is a painless exam that takes about 20 minutes. By knowing your body fat percentage, you can take measures to change it and improve your health.