Assessment leads to solutions

We analyze, interpret, and discuss your results and help you establish goals, strategies, and tactics to achieve optimal metabolic health outcomes.

• 30-minute appointment

• DEXA Report and detailed explanation of your results

• comparison report from previous scans

• BMR

• receive a comprehensive compendium to calculate your daily energy output, how to optimally fuel your lifestyle and sporting needs, and how to safely manage a calorie deficit without losing your muscle mass.

• we have a fully equipped gym onsite to orientate you to the optimal strength/cardio exercises and dosage to achieve your desired health outcomes

• we also assess and manage musculoskeletal pain and injuries that inhibit your capacity to exercise

Following your initial DEXA scan you will learn about your body composition and strategies to maintain or improve your physiology. Everyone is unique and we work with you to calculate your optimal nutrition and exercise dose to achieve your health and performance goals.

DEXA measures your total body fat, visceral fat, fat-free mass, and bone density. You will learn if you are low or high risk for metabolic syndrome-the precursor to cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, fatty liver disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

DEXA is also used for Bone Mineral density testing specifically of the hip and lumbar spine for osteopenia and osteoporosis diagnosis, and to validate bone strengthening programs and/or bone stimulating pharmacotherapies.

No referral is necessary for body composition DEXA. DEXA scans are rebatable through your private health insurance if you have extras cover. Your consult also includes discussion and strategies to maximize fat metabolism, and how to increase muscle mass safely.

Please note there is no Medicare rebate for BMD scans at our clinic There is a health fund rebate the same as for full body composition studies.

Follow-up scans are used to validate your intervention.

common validation studies we do here at the clinic include:

Intermittent fasting

Ketogenic diet

calorie restriction

strength and conditioning programs

GLP-1 agonist therapies: Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, Byetta, Saxenda, Adlyxin, Rybelsus

SGLT-2 inhibitor therapies: Invokana, Steglatro, Farxiga, Jardiance

Bariatric surgery

DEXA scanners emit a very low dose of radiation and it is safe to repeat scans throughout the year.

DEXA is recommended for all members of the population to monitor their metabolic health.

The most frequent cohorts to our clinic for DEXA:

Adults about to commence a gym program or lifestyle intervention

Elite athletes monitoring training and competition blocks

Diagnosed metabolic syndrome/pre-diabetes/Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes/cancer

Peri- menopausal and Post-menopausal women

PCOS

Executive health checks

Life insurance assessment

Clinical trials for supplements, drugs and lifestyle interventions

Post-operative and post-rehab assessment of limb muscle mass before return to sport

GLP-1 agonist users: Novo Nordisk used DEXA scanning to monitor body composition changes in patients taking semaglutide (Ozempic) in clinical trials; notably the SUSTAIN 8 trial, and the STEP 1 trial:

Based on the SUSTAIN 8 and STEP 1 trial results, semaglutide demonstrated several effects on body composition:SUSTAIN 8 Trial:

1. Total fat mass reduction: Semaglutide reduced total fat mass by 3.4 kg from a baseline of 33.2 kg after 52 weeks of treatment.

2. Lean mass changes: Total lean mass decreased by 2.3 kg from a baseline of 51.3 kg. However, the proportion of lean mass increased by 1.2 percentage points from a baseline of 59.4%.

3. Visceral fat: Changes in visceral fat mass were comparable between semaglutide and the comparator drug canagliflozin.

STEP 1 Trial:

1. Total fat mass reduction: Semaglutide led to a 19.3% reduction in total fat mass from baseline to week 68.

2. Visceral fat reduction: Regional visceral fat mass decreased by 27.4%.

3. Lean mass changes: Total lean body mass decreased by 9.7% from baseline.

4. Fat-to-lean mass ratio: The lean body mass to fat mass ratio improved with semaglutide treatment. The ratio increased from baseline (1.34) to week 68 by 0.23.

5. Weight loss correlation: Greater weight loss was associated with greater improvements in body composition. Participants who lost ≥15% of their body weight showed a more significant improvement in the lean body mass to fat mass ratio compared to those who lost <15%.

In both trials, semaglutide demonstrated a favorable effect on body composition, reducing total fat mass and visceral fat while relatively preserving lean mass. The STEP 1 trial provided more detailed insights into the relationship between weight loss magnitude and body composition improvements.

If you are taking a GLP-1 agonist I recommend monitoring your body composition with a DEXA scan. I can calculate your BMR from your fat -free mass and use this as a guide for maintaining the minimum calorie intake to preserve your muscle mass.

Have you struggled to lose weight with previous interventions?

You may have impaired fat oxidation. We offer another service to test your mitochondrial efficiency using blood lactate testing. This involves taking a small sample of blood from a prick to your finger or ear lobe and measuring blood lactate in a fasted state at rest and during light to moderate steady-state exercise usually on a stationary bike. You will learn about your aerobic capacity, that is, what exercise intensity you are most effective at using fat for energy and the crossover point where you become reliant on blood glucose as your primary energy source. We devise exercise programs to improve your fat oxidative capacity based on the test results.

Low testosterone (hypogonadism) and Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) should be part of the conversation you’re having with your medical provider, particularly if you’re overweight.

Recent studies link abdominal obesity—accompanied by symptoms—to low testosterone levels. These studies show the need for both patients and physicians to be aware of both the warning signs and the complications associated with poor hormonal health.

Belly Fat Associated With Higher Mortality, Heart Disease

Research is finding that the amount of weight you carry around your belly and waist may be a more accurate indicator of health risks than your total body fat measured by BMI (Body Mass Index).

Abdominal obesity is associated with the following:

• Higher mortality than generalized obesity

• Increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease compared to generalized obesity

• Elevated disease risk through heightened insulin resistance, directly associated with belly fat

• Increased rates of diabetes, and cancer, regardless of BMI

• Increased metabolic risk in men

• Higher rates of low testosterone and other hormone imbalances

• Premature degenerative or “wear and tear” to hip and knee joints

Excess belly fat is more than just unsightly. The above list of risks and complications show it can be dangerous to a patient’s health.

Abdominal Obesity and Low Testosterone

The link between abdominal obesity and low testosterone is of particular interest, possibly revealing treatment avenues related to restoring a healthy hormone balance.

Low testosterone levels are associated with more belly fat. Large amounts of belly fat produce estrogen, driving testosterone levels even lower.

Supporting that conclusion, studies have produced data showing that abdominal obesity is associated with low testosterone levels in men.

In other words, the larger a man’s waist size, the lower his free (active) testosterone is likely to be.

One recent study went even further, showing that men over 40 with abdominal obesity have a higher incidence of:

• Low testosterone

• Erectile dysfunction

• Metabolic syndrome

All appeared proportional to belly size.

Another study examined the connection between waist-to-height ratio and testosterone levels by monitoring 207 men over 54 who displayed symptoms of Low T, but who were otherwise in good health.

It found that a waist-to-height ratio above 0.5 correlates with low testosterone levels.

Low T and Belly Fat: The Takeaway

The risks and potential complications associated with abdominal obesity are serious and require intervention.

Research indicates that raising testosterone levels through Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) often aids the body in reducing fat production and increasing lean muscle mass.