Body Composition Analysis


Image showing Body Composition Analysis by Arya Stana

Advanced Body Composition Assessment with a Hologic DXA System assures higher quality images and aims at improving quality of life.

2.8 million people die each year from complications and diseases related to obesity. 500 million people worldwide, or 1 out of every 10, is obese. 82% increase in obesity globally in the past 20 years.

Worldwide obesity has increased at an alarming rate in the last two decades, making the demand for accurate body composition analysis higher than it’s ever been. There is no better way to evaluate metabolic and obesity related health risks than with a Hologic DXA system. Hologic invented that technology and are now taking it to the next level with a system that raises the bar on image quality and operational efficiency to deliver accurate diagnostic and clinical information.


Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a BCA (Body Composition Analysis) done?

Exceptional Precision
A whole body composition scan takes as little as seven minutes — efficiency without sacrificing accuracy:

  • Reflection feature — designed to eliminate the need for multiple scans, even if portions of the body lie outside of the scan field
  • Hologic’s X-ray penetration produces superb image quality for all patients, regardless of their shape or size

Enhanced Measurements
Fat Mass Index (FMI) is an obesity classification which measures the ratio of fat mass to height squared. FMI may be better than Body Mass Index (BMI), because it is a non-specific measure of excess weight that may misclassify muscular subjects as overweight or obese, interfering with diagnosis and management of clinical obesity. FMI is exclusive to Hologic.

Fat Mass Index

  • Fat mass ratio not based upon weight (Fat/Height2)
  • FMI is expressed in units of kg/m2
  • NHANES reference — acquired exclusively on Hologic fan beam systems
  • Gender specific
  • Not affected by lean mass like BMI or %fat

Improved Patient Management and Care
Proper analysis/Clinical Body Composition report is essential for accurate diagnostic scores making it easier to determine the appropriate course of action for your patients’ management.

Adipose Indices access abnormalities in fat distribution, with Fat Mass Index (FMI) developed exclusively by Hologic Color tissue mapping displays patient’s progress.

The Rate of Change report simplifies patient follow-up by providing comprehensive trending as well as serial tissue mapping. Only Hologic provides an illustration of a patient’s progress using colour coded images from previous scans, making it easy for patients and their physicians to track long-term changes.

What is the radiation exposure?
The radiation exposure from one whole body DXA scan is equivalent to the amount of radiation received over one day at sea level.


Key Facts about DXA

  • One single DXA system can accurately measure a 0.5% change in body composition over decades of operational use.
  • DXA has the ability to accurately evaluate anatomical differences between individual limbs. As such DXA has the potential to monitor recovery from injury and performance by looking at differences in limbs.
  • DXA can produce a Fat Mass Index, which normalises fat mass by height and takes into account lean muscle mass.
  • DXA has the ability to evaluate bone, lean, and fat mass status which may be used to assess success of sports diet and fitness interventions.
  • DXA yields the potential to obtain accurate readings over a wide range of body sizes and body types.