How to Interpret Your DEXA Scan Results: Turning Data Into Action
Why Your DEXA Results Matter
Your DEXA scan provides one of the most accurate and reliable assessments of your body composition — giving you a clear picture of fat, muscle, and bone.
Unlike a scale or handheld device, it separates each component precisely, showing you not just what you weigh, but what that weight is made of.
At Precision Metrics Lab, our goal is to help you use this data to guide your training, nutrition, and overall health — turning numbers into meaningful change.
1. Body Fat Percentage: Understanding Your Foundation
What It Means
Body fat percentage measures how much of your body weight is fat compared to everything else (muscle, bone, water). Understanding body fat percentage goes well beyond the scale. Fat tissue is a dynamic organ, releasing hormones and signaling molecules that impact your entire metabolic network. However, excessive fat—especially around the abdomen—contributes to insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic instability, all of which are linked to long-term health risks.
Why It Matters
Body fat percentage provides insight into several essential aspects of health:
Hormonal Balance: Fat cells produce hormones that affect metabolism, hunger, and reproductive health.
Immune Function: Excess fat drives inflammation, which taxes the immune system.
Metabolic Health: High body fat often signals challenges in insulin sensitivity,
increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Targets
Healthy ranges (based on DexaFit and American Council on Exercise (ACE) guidelines):
The aim is steady, manageable progress from one category to the next—think of moving from “Fair” to “Good” over time, prioritizing gradual, lasting improvements that reflect a true investment in metabolic health.
Action Steps
Prioritize strength training to maintain muscle while reducing fat.
Pair it with regular cardio or daily activity to enhance calorie balance.
Focus on high-protein, nutrient-dense foods to support fat loss while preserving lean mass.
Avoid crash diets — aim for steady progress of 0.5–1 lb per week.
💡 Remember: a lower body fat percentage is only beneficial if it comes with enough muscle to support strength, metabolism, and longevity.
2. Lean Mass: The Key to Longevity
What It Means
Lean mass, mainly muscle tissue, is central to metabolic health, functional independence, and resilience. Rather than looking at absolute muscle mass, we assess it using the Appendicular Lean Mass Index (ALMI), which considers your height to offer an accurate measure of muscle density, irrespective of other variables. It’s not just for athletes — maintaining muscle is essential for aging well, improving insulin sensitivity, and protecting joints and bones . DEXA scans precisely measure both your total lean mass and regional distribution (arms, legs, trunk). This helps spot imbalances, which can guide training focus areas.
Why It Matters
Lean mass plays a key role in long-term health:
Metabolic Health: Muscle acts as a “glucose sink,” keeping insulin sensitivity in check.
Physical Function: Strong muscles support balance and reduce fall risk.
Resilience and Longevity: High lean mass is associated with lower mortality riskand improved immune function.
Targets
Lean mass is best measured relative to your height using the Appendicular Lean Mass Index (ALMI). Ranges vary by age and gender, but improving your ALMI score — even slightly — correlates with better mobility, lower fall risk, and stronger immunity.
Action Steps
Include progressive resistance training 2–4 times per week.
Eat 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily.
Don’t just aim to lose weight — aim to recompose (build or preserve muscle while reducing fat).
Re-scan every 3–4 months to verify progress — especially if you’re adjusting training or nutrition.
🧠 If you lose total weight but your lean mass goes down too — it’s time to re-evaluate your approach.
3. Visceral Fat (VAT): The Most Important Number on Your Report
What It Means
Visceral fat is the deep abdominal fat that surrounds your organs. Unlike the fat you can pinch, VAT is hormonally active and inflammatory — a key driver of metabolic issues like insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides, and cardiovascular disease .
Even at a normal body weight, high visceral fat is a silent risk factor for long-term health.
Targets
Excellent: 0.0–0.5 lb
Fair: 0.6–1.0 lb
Needs Focus: Above 1.0 lb
Research shows keeping VAT below 1.0 lb significantly reduces metabolic risk — regardless of age or body type.
Action Steps
Incorporate Zone 2 cardio (moderate, steady-state) for 30–45 minutes, 3–5x per week.
Prioritize sleep, stress management, and consistent meal timing, which all influence visceral fat.
Focus on whole-food, minimally processed nutrition — refined carbs and alcohol tend to increase VAT most quickly.
Re-scan quarterly to track improvement — small reductions yield large health benefits.
⚠️ You can’t “see” visceral fat in the mirror — but you can track and improve it through consistent habits.
4. Bone Density (T-Score): Strength From the Inside Out
What It Means
Your DEXA scan also reports a T-score, which estimates overall bone density — a key indicator of long-term structural health and fracture resistance.
Bone density naturally declines with age, but strength training, good nutrition, and adequate recovery can slow or even reverse that process .
Targets
Excellent: Above 0
Fair: 0 to -1
Needs Focus: Below -1
If your T-score trends downward over time, that’s a cue to reassess calcium intake, resistance training volume, or lifestyle factors (like sleep and stress).
Action Steps
Perform weight-bearing and resistance exercises such as squats, presses, and loaded carries.
Ensure adequate calcium (1,000–1,200 mg/day) and vitamin D (1,000–2,000 IU/day) from diet or supplements if needed.
Re-scan annually to monitor long-term changes.
For clients approaching menopause or older adults, maintaining lean mass is one of the best defenses against bone loss.
Tracking Trends: Why Follow-Up Scans Matter
Your DEXA scan is a snapshot in time, but real transformation happens in the trends.
Your body composition evolves with training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits — and the only way to measure that progress objectively is to compare scans over time.
Why Re-Scanning Every 3–6 Months Matters
Track body fat and muscle changes that don’t always show on the scale.
Confirm whether your current plan is working — or if adjustments are needed.
Catch early signs of muscle loss or visceral fat gain.
Stay accountable and motivated with clear, measurable results.
📈 Think of your DEXA scan as your quarterly performance report — it keeps your health strategy data-driven and on track.
Putting It All Together
Each metric — body fat, lean mass, visceral fat, and bone density — tells a piece of your story.
Together, they form a complete picture of your health and progress.
By understanding and tracking these numbers, you’re not just reacting to change — you’re taking control of it.
Your DEXA results are more than a report; they’re a roadmap for improvement.
Next Steps
Your next DEXA scan is the key to measuring progress — not guessing it.
Rebook your follow-up in 3–6 months to see how your body is responding to your efforts and fine-tune your strategy with precision.
Stay consistent, track your data, and keep building your foundation for long-term health.