Body composition scan for weight loss injections
Weight loss injections and muscle loss – what really changes?
Weight loss injections can help a great deal with losing weight. But what does the body actually lose? A DEXA body composition scan documents how fat mass and lean mass change before and during treatment.
Are you losing fat – or also valuable muscle mass?
Weight loss injections and muscle loss: what studies show
- Medications based on GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP can support significant weight loss when medically indicated.
- Studies using DEXA measurements show a greater average reduction in fat mass. At the same time, however, lean mass can also decrease.
- How your body changes cannot be predicted from weight loss alone – average values from studies say little about any individual person.
- A baseline DEXA scan and a later follow-up scan can document this development.
Why we don't quote study figures as an expectation
The large trials that led to approval only examined body composition with DEXA in subgroups of participants. Their results are average values for particular study groups under study conditions. How much fat and lean mass you personally lose depends, among other things, on your starting weight, age, diet, physical activity and the rate of weight loss.
What a body composition scan cannot do during treatment with a weight loss injection
- DEXA does not decide whether to start, adjust the dose of, or stop a medication.
- The scan does not replace medical care or nutritional counselling.
- Any changes to treatment are made solely by your treating doctor.
- Lean mass is not the same as directly measured muscle mass or muscle strength.
Your treatment stays in your doctor's hands
We measure and document the results. You discuss your report with the doctor who prescribed and is overseeing your treatment.
Body composition scan for weight loss injections: baseline scan and follow-up
Before starting treatment
The baseline scan records fat mass, lean mass and their distribution – the reference point for every later comparison.
During treatment
A follow-up scan is often carried out after several months. You'll agree the right interval with your treating doctor.
After stopping treatment
Even after that, a further scan can show how your body composition develops.
Measurements are only comparable when taken on the same device and under similar conditions: for example, at roughly the same time of day, after fasting for 3 hours and with an empty bladder.
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.
About the medical body composition scan Losing weight without medication
Relevant health goals
Medical sources
- Impact of Semaglutide on Body Composition in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: Exploratory Analysis of the STEP 1 Study. Journal of the Endocrine Society 2021;5(Suppl 1). DEXA sub-analysis (conference presentation). View source (opens in a new window)
- Look M, Dunn JP, Kushner RF, et al. Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 2025;27(5). View source (opens in a new window)
- 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.