Healthy weight loss in Graz
Healthy weight loss – distinguishing fat loss from muscle mass
If you want to lose weight healthily, the aim is mainly to lose body fat while keeping as much muscle as possible. Body weight alone doesn't tell you whether this is succeeding.
The scales show how many kilograms you've lost. They don't show what that weight loss consists of.
Fat loss or muscle loss – what the scales don't show
- When losing a significant amount of weight, both fat mass and fat-free mass can decrease – how much of each varies from person to person.
- Fat-free or lean mass is not the same as pure skeletal muscle mass. Besides muscle, it also includes organs, connective tissue and body water.
- A DEXA body composition scan records fat mass, lean soft-tissue mass and their distribution across arms, legs and trunk.
- Muscle strength, nutritional status and metabolism are not measured directly.
Why no average figures?
How much fat and lean mass is lost during weight loss varies considerably between studies and between individuals – depending on starting weight, age, diet, exercise and the pace of weight loss. For this reason, we deliberately don't quote general percentage figures here. What's meaningful is comparing your own two scans.
Losing weight healthily with medication?
If you're receiving a weight-loss injection, you'll find the specifics of this treatment on a separate page.
Weight loss injections and muscle lossWho benefits from a body composition scan when losing weight?
Change in diet
You'd like to know whether the kilos you've lost are mainly fat.
Planned significant weight loss
A baseline value before you start makes later changes easier to compare.
Weight loss combined with strength training
You want to see whether your lean mass is preserved despite a calorie deficit.
Bariatric surgery
The scan documents your progress before and after the procedure.
Baseline and follow-up scan
Two scans under the same conditions show what has changed.
Body composition scan before and after obesity surgery
After bariatric surgery, weight often drops quickly. A body composition scan before the procedure and at longer intervals afterwards records how fat mass and lean mass change.
The scan only describes body composition. Decisions about diet, nutritional supplements and further treatment are made by your care team – a DEXA scan alone cannot provide information about therapy or nutrient status.
If your body weight is very high
According to the manufacturer, our scanning table is designed for a body weight of up to 159 kg, and the scanning area is also limited in width. If your body weight is very high, please call us in advance to check whether the scan is possible.
How a body composition scan supports your weight loss
Baseline measurement
Before starting your weight loss, a body composition scan records how your body is made up of fat mass and lean mass.
Weight-loss phase
You put your plan into practice – supported by your doctor or a nutrition specialist.
Follow-up scan after several months
The second scan is carried out on the same device and under conditions as similar as possible: a similar time of day, after fasting for 3 hours, with an empty bladder.
Clear comparison of results
The report shows how your fat mass and lean mass have changed, overall and by body region.
The body composition scan is a private service that you can book without a referral, and costs €70 per scan, the package of two body composition scans (initial and follow-up scan) €130 (both scans within 2 years). Bone density scan and body composition scan at one appointment: 120 euros. You can currently arrange the package by phone. Please allow around 20 minutes for your appointment.
Medical sources
- International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD): Official Positions – Adult, 2023 edition. View source (opens in a new window)
This page is for general information only and does not replace medical advice.