How to Read Your DEXA Scan Results

Total Body Fat Percentage

This is the number most people look at first. It tells you what percentage of your total body mass is fat tissue. Unlike a scale or BMI calculation, this is a direct measurement — not an estimate.

For reference: healthy ranges are roughly 10-20% for men and 18-28% for women, though this varies by age. Your report will typically show how you compare to population norms.

Lean Mass (Muscle + Organs + Water)

Lean mass is everything that isn't fat or bone. That includes skeletal muscle, organs, blood, and water. Your report breaks this down by region — left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, and trunk.

The regional breakdown is one of the most useful parts of a DEXA report. You can see if one side carries more muscle than the other, which is common and relevant for injury prevention and training.

Bone Mineral Content and Bone Mineral Density

Your report shows total bone mineral content (BMC) in grams and bone mineral density (BMD) in g/cm². These numbers tell you how strong and dense your skeleton is.

For osteoporosis screening, BMD is the key metric. Your results are compared against two reference populations using T-scores and Z-scores.

T-Scores and Z-Scores

T-score compares your bone density to a healthy 30-year-old of the same sex — the age when bone density typically peaks. The WHO defines the categories:

• Above -1.0: Normal bone density
• -1.0 to -2.5: Osteopenia (low bone density)
• Below -2.5: Osteoporosis

Z-score compares you to people your own age and sex. A Z-score below -2.0 is flagged as "below expected range" and may warrant further investigation.

T-scores are used for postmenopausal women and men over 50. Z-scores are more relevant for younger adults and premenopausal women.

Regional Body Composition

Your report divides the body into five regions: both arms, both legs, and the trunk. For each region, you get fat mass, lean mass, and bone mineral content.

This is especially useful for spotting asymmetries. A 10%+ difference in lean mass between your left and right leg, for example, could indicate a compensation pattern from an old injury. Athletes use this data to balance their training.

Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT)

Visceral fat is the fat stored around your abdominal organs. It's metabolically active and strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Your DEXA report estimates visceral fat area in cm² and sometimes volume.

A VAT area under 100 cm² is generally considered low risk. Above 160 cm² is high risk. This number matters more than your total body fat percentage for predicting metabolic health problems.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

Many DEXA reports include an estimated resting metabolic rate based on your lean mass. This tells you roughly how many calories your body burns at rest each day. Because it's derived from your actual lean tissue measurement — not a formula based on height and weight — it's more accurate than most online calculators.

What to Focus On

If you're tracking fitness, pay closest attention to lean mass trends, body fat percentage, and visceral fat. If you're screening for bone health, T-scores and BMD are the priority. And if you're doing repeat scans over time, focus on the direction of change rather than obsessing over any single number.

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