A Plug for Body Composition Testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't sound necessary. Did you really need a scan to tell you your post menopausal body is different from your college athletic body or that you need to eat protein and build muscle? I think not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't sound necessary. Did you really need a scan to tell you your post menopausal body is different from your college athletic body or that you need to eat protein and build muscle? I think not.

OP here, and clearly I found it useful or I wouldn’t have shared. Necessary? Perhaps not. Informative and motivating? Absolutely! Some of us are more data driven than others. For me, guessing is not the same as knowing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

You voluntarily expose yourself to a shit ton of radiation every time you get on a plane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

Does a dexa prescribed for checking for osteoporosis give you body fat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

Does a dexa prescribed for checking for osteoporosis give you body fat?

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

Does a dexa prescribed for checking for osteoporosis give you body fat?

Ha! That was my first question. Nope, they just do bones. I am doing the Composition ID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

Does a dexa prescribed for checking for osteoporosis give you body fat?

Yes

It’s the same machine but my doctor said no. It’s a different report from dexa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Bodymass Gym in Arlington does it too and is a bit cheaper than Composition ID.

Stay away from Composition ID in Arlington. Rafi is a prick. I think the DC one is supposed to be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just looked it up. Not sure it’s a good idea to voluntarily get extra radiation?

It’s all about cost/benefit analysis IMO. No, extra radiation probably not a good thing, but it is good to learn about your bone density and amount of visceral fat. Knowing that can prompt some people to make healthy changes they might not have otherwise. And radiation is everywhere, so it’s a question of degree.

Agreed. The risks and costs of obesity, injury, and osteoporosis greatly outweigh the risks of minimal radiation. I’m surprised more GPs don’t recommend them as part of regular health screening.

I get a dexa scan every couple of years for checking osteoporosis.

Does a dexa prescribed for checking for osteoporosis give you body fat?

Yes

No. I get a DEXA every two years. Just bone density. I wish it gave me fat too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Bodymass Gym in Arlington does it too and is a bit cheaper than Composition ID.

Stay away from Composition ID in Arlington. Rafi is a prick. I think the DC one is supposed to be better.

I did both and I do not mind Rafi. He can be quite opinionated but I had a good experience with him. I switched to Bodymass though because it is cheaper and closer to my place. I am puzzled by the posts saying their DEXA only showed bone density. Mine always had all the info. And the remark someone made about paying attention to the cycle is true. DEXA measures everything that is not fat as lean mass so it is not correct to interpret it as muscle. Water retention will affect how much lean mass it measures. I only use it to track my total body fat when I am cutting weight, which is something it measures extremely accurately.