Ditch BMI—discover why DEXA scans provide a superior measure of longevity by tracking fat, muscle, and bone health in San Francisco.
For decades, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the standard metric for assessing health. However, BMI is a flawed measurement that doesn’t differentiate between muscle, fat, and bone, often leading to misleading conclusions about a person’s health. In contrast, DEXA scans (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) provide a far more accurate and detailed analysis of body composition, offering critical insights into fat distribution, muscle mass, and bone density—all of which directly impact longevity and disease prevention.
If you're serious about optimizing your long-term health and lifespan, it’s time to look beyond BMI and use DEXA scans to track what really matters for longevity.
BMI is an outdated formula that only considers height and weight, classifying individuals into broad categories like “underweight,” “normal,” “overweight,” or “obese.”
🚫 Doesn’t Differentiate Between Muscle and Fat
🚫 Ignores Fat Distribution
🚫 Fails to Assess Bone Health
🚫 Not Personalized
👉 The solution? A DEXA scan, which gives a complete, personalized breakdown of body composition.
A DEXA scan is the most precise method for measuring body composition, going beyond weight and BMI to analyze:
✅ Total Body Fat Percentage – Measures overall fat and breaks it down by region.
✅ Visceral Fat Levels – Identifies fat around organs, a major risk factor for chronic disease.
✅ Lean Muscle Mass – Tracks muscle distribution and imbalances.
✅ Bone Mineral Density (BMD) – Assesses bone strength, predicting osteoporosis risk.
⚠ The Risk: Excess visceral fat is linked to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and inflammation—key factors that shorten lifespan.
🔬 Why DEXA? DEXA scans provide a precise visceral fat measurement, allowing for early intervention.
❌ BMI cannot detect visceral fat, making it a poor indicator of metabolic health.
👉 If you have a normal BMI but high visceral fat, you're still at risk for disease—DEXA scans reveal this hidden danger.
⚠ The Risk: Muscle loss (sarcopenia) accelerates aging and increases the risk of falls, fractures, and metabolic decline.
🔬 Why DEXA? DEXA scans track muscle mass over time, helping you preserve strength and mobility.
❌ BMI cannot measure muscle mass, meaning it can misclassify healthy individuals as overweight while ignoring those at risk of sarcopenia.
👉 Regular DEXA scans allow you to maintain lean muscle mass, which is essential for longevity.
⚠ The Risk: Osteoporosis and osteopenia increase fracture risk, leading to disability and reduced lifespan.
🔬 Why DEXA? DEXA scans measure bone mineral density (BMD), helping prevent fractures through early detection.
❌ BMI does not measure bone strength, missing a critical aspect of aging and longevity.
👉 By tracking bone density with DEXA scans, you can take proactive steps to prevent fractures and maintain independence as you age.
⚠ The Risk: Total weight doesn’t tell the whole story—where fat is stored matters.
🔬 Why DEXA? DEXA scans break down fat distribution by region (e.g., arms, legs, trunk), helping you target fat loss effectively.
❌ BMI only considers total weight, which does not reflect whether fat is evenly distributed or concentrated in dangerous areas like the abdomen.
👉 DEXA scans help tailor nutrition and exercise plans based on where fat is stored.
👉 A DEXA scan provides precise, actionable insights, while BMI is an outdated, generalized metric that overlooks key health factors.
For optimal longevity tracking, a DEXA scan should be taken every month for a short iteration cycle, ensuring quick adjustments to diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
✔ Monthly scans: Best for individuals actively working on fat loss, muscle gain, or longevity optimization.
✔ Bi-Monthly scans: Recommended for general wellness tracking.
✔ Annual scans: Useful for baseline assessments, but not ideal for precise progress tracking.
A 50-year-old woman wanted to assess her health and longevity risks after being told she had a “normal” BMI of 23.5.
📌 High visceral fat levels, despite a healthy BMI.
📌 Mild osteopenia, indicating bone density loss.
📌 Low muscle mass, increasing the risk of sarcopenia.
✅ Strength training added to increase muscle mass.
✅ Dietary changes to reduce visceral fat and improve metabolic health.
✅ Bone health supplementation (calcium, vitamin D) and weight-bearing exercises.
✅ Visceral fat reduced by 22%, lowering metabolic risk.
✅ Lean muscle increased by 9%, preventing muscle loss with age.
✅ Bone density stabilized, lowering fracture risk.
📊 Her BMI never changed—but her longevity prospects improved dramatically.
If you’re ready to take control of your health and longevity, book a DEXA Scan in San Francisco at KALOS. Our full-body composition scans take just six minutes and provide the most accurate assessment of fat, muscle, and bone health available.
📅 Schedule your scan today at KALOS—your journey to a longer, healthier life starts now.
Bay Area residents trust KALOS to deliver results. We proudly serve the entire Bay Area including the following locations:
