FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's)
GENERAL OVERVIEW
How can body fat be measured?
Body fat can be estimated by body weight, body mass index (calculated using weight and height), waist circumference (tape measurement around the waist), and percent body fat. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning is often considered among the most reliable measures of body fat ("gold standard"). Not all facilities that perform DXA scans measure percent body fat. Not all DXA machines that measure percent body fat measure android and visceral fat. Percent body fat, android fat, and visceral fat are all important measures of body health.
What is fitness?
According to the Centers for Disease control, physical fitness is defined as “the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to enjoy leisure-time pursuits and respond to emergencies.”
How can fitness be measured?
Fitness can be measured in different ways, such as testing for speed, heart and lung endurance, as well as muscle strength, flexibility, and balance. In addition to how you feel during physical activity, another way to assess fitness is to determine the amount of muscle and fat in your body, such as through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning.
What services do we offer?
We offer diagnostic testing, nutritional counseling, and DXA scan for body composition (fat and muscle mass).
What about athletes and bodybuilders?
Even if you are not overweight, a DXA scan is a unique and sophisticated way to determine your response to nutrition, physical activity, sports, and exercise training. If you are just starting a serious training program, or if you have already undergone serious training, a DXA scan will give you the information you need to monitor your muscle and fat mass, as well as your bone density. Many athletes and bodybuilders find DXA scanning a useful tool in any well-structured routine training program. Periodic DXA scan measurements of your muscle, fat, and bone takes the guess-work out of what is happening to your body goal, when you are training, or when you are gaining or losing weight.
A practical example is the new adoption of an aggressive resistance program. In the beginning, you may be discouraged to find no change in body weight. This may be despite clear improvement in nutrition, caloric intake, and physical activity. In this case, it is probable you are gaining muscle, but losing fat. This is a healthy change. However, you won’t know this by looking at a weight scale. The weight on the scale may stay the same. You will know this through a DXA scan, which should show a reduction your percent body fat.
What are the types of procedures we perform?
- An increase in body fat is most often due to genetics, biology, and environment. We can’t do much about your genetic make-up. However, we can help address the biology. We can provide guidance regarding environment.
- Some of our blood testing includes evaluation of glucose (diabetes mellitus), blood pressure, and cholesterol and triglycerides (fats in the blood). We also test for increases in liver enzymes (that might suggest a “fatty liver”), and blood testing for thyroid abnormalities.
- We also have a Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan. The manufacturer does not recommend DXA scan be performed in patients over 350 pounds. However, for those who weigh less than 350 pounds, a DXA scan is an imaging and diagnostic test that can measure the relative amount of your body muscle and fat (body composition), as well as strength of your bones (bone mineral density). The DXA scan procedure does not involve needles or injections. Your body will not be confined or enclosed; your face will not be covered.
- Some individuals with increased body weight may have a large amount of muscle. In muscular individuals, a body weight does not accurately assess health risks. In such cases, it may be useful to measure the body’s muscle and fat, such as through DXA.
- The DXA scan may also be useful to assess the fat loss progress during weight management treatments. It is also a unique and sophisticated way to determine an individual’s response to sports, exercise, and/or physical activity training.
- It is challenging to know how much bone mass you have without measuring it. Bone loss and low bone mass can result in osteoporosis. Osteoporosis places you at risk for fractures due to weak bones. DXA scanning can measure the strength of your bones. Knowing the density of your bones may help direct you towards the need of treatments for good bone health, and reduce the risk of bone fractures.
- DXA can also provide an estimate of your “metabolism” or resting metabolic rate. Knowing how many calories you burn off at rest can assist you in making nutrition and physical activity choices.