You feel the pressure. Not where it lands.
Periods of stress are part of life. But when high pressure becomes the norm, it can affect your sleep, eating habits, activity and metabolism. Research links long-term stress to more visceral fat, which can build up even while your weight stays stable.
Chronic stress shows up beneath the surface
In a study of more than 1,800 adults, people carrying a greater burden of chronic stress had more visceral fat when they were measured again about three years later.
Experimental work in primates points the same way and suggests the link may be causal: prolonged social stress led to more visceral fat, and to more plaque building up in the coronary arteries.
Found in a cohort of more than 1,800 adults. The study linked here is the experimental primate work that supports reading the link as causal.
Primate study, Am J Primatology 2009 (opens in a new tab)What cortisol has to do with it
Cortisol is an essential hormone with a daily rhythm of its own. It rises around waking and falls towards the evening, helping to regulate your sleep-wake cycle, your available energy and your metabolism. It also rises briefly under stress, so your body can meet a challenge.
When stress becomes chronic and recovery stays short, that balance can come undone. Research suggests altered cortisol signalling may influence appetite and food reward, making sugary and fatty food more appealing, and visceral fat appears particularly sensitive to cortisol.
Together with the changes in sleep, movement and eating that come with it, that is a plausible biological route from prolonged stress to visceral fat.
- Psychological stress
- Poor sleep
- Hormonal changes
- Inactivity
- Nutrition
When stress becomes chronic and recovery stays short, cortisol can remain elevated.
- Chronic stress (elevated cortisol)Normal rhythm
Altered cortisol signalling may influence appetite and food reward, making sugary and fatty foods more appealing.
More visceral fatFat is more likely to be stored around the organs.
Less muscleMuscle mass can decrease over time.
Weaker boneBone density can be affected over time.
These changes can affect how your body regulates blood sugar, blood fats and energy.
- Higher blood sugar and insulin resistance
- Higher blood fats
- Changes in energy regulation
- Lower energy
- More brain fog
- Reduced physical capacity
This can, in turn, influence how you feel and perform, and may reinforce some of the same problems, creating a vicious cycle.
Why visceral fat matters
Visceral fat is not simply stored energy. Too much of it is strongly associated with poorer metabolic health: how well your body regulates blood sugar, insulin, fats and energy.
When those systems work less well, the risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease goes up. It is why two people at the same weight, with the same BMI, can be in very different metabolic shape.
Measure what stress may be changing
We use DEXA to measure visceral fat and body composition, alongside lean mass and bone density, with grip strength for muscle function: objective information instead of weight, BMI or a single cortisol reading.
Fat stored deep around your internal organs. Excess visceral fat is an early warning sign that your body is becoming less effective in metabolism including regulating blood sugar, fats, cholesterol and energy, increasing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which occurs in at least 1 out of 4 individuals with normal weight.
More on visceral fatMuscle helps you stay strong, active and physically capable as you age. It also plays an important role in regulating blood sugar. Muscle strength can decline by around 14 to 16% per decade from midlife onwards. Maintaining muscle and strength preserves your ability to move, travel and live independently. Both are strongly associated with better long-term health and longevity.
More on muscle massBone mineral density reflects the strength of your bones. Strong bones help you stay active and independent as you age, while lower bone density increases the risk of fractures. Because bone loss usually happens without symptoms, a fracture may be the first sign of declining bone health. About half of adults aged 50 and older have poor bone health.
More on bone densityYou can’t see visceral fat in the mirror
You can be lean, maintain a stable weight and still accumulate fat around your internal organs. A DEXA scan allows us to measure visceral fat directly, alongside muscle mass and bone mineral density. We put your results into age-relevant context and combine them with your health questionnaire to identify where there may be room for improvement.
Is the radiation safe?
A DEXA scan uses a very low dose of X-ray radiation, typically comparable to just a few hours of natural background radiation. Every request is reviewed by a licensed physician before the scan.
Can I have a DEXA scan when I am pregnant?
No. We do not perform DEXA scans during pregnancy, even though the radiation dose is very low. Our screening questionnaire checks this before an appointment can be booked.
Do I need an injection or contrast agent?
No. A DEXA scan is completely non-invasive and painless. There are no injections, needles or contrast agents involved. You simply lie still on the open scanning table for a few minutes while the scanner passes above your body.
Can anyone have a DEXA scan?
Not everyone should undergo a DEXA scan. Before you book we ask a few screening questions, and a licensed physician reviews your request to make sure the scan is appropriate for you. If anything needs clarification, we contact you before confirming your appointment.
Why do I need a medical indication for a DEXA scan?
DEXA uses a very low dose of X-ray radiation and is therefore subject to medical radiation regulations. This means we don't perform scans simply because someone would like to know their body composition. There needs to be an appropriate medical indication.
At Vitary, this may include overweight or signs that suggest you could carry more visceral fat than expected, have lost significant lean body mass, or have low bone mineral density, even if your BMI is within the normal range. Relevant factors can include changes around your waist, persistent fatigue, poor recovery or sleep, reduced exercise tolerance, strong food cravings, menopause, chronic stress or metabolic markers such as elevated blood pressure, glucose or cholesterol.
Before you book, you will complete a short health questionnaire. A BIG-registered physician reviews your answers and determines whether a DEXA scan is appropriate for you.
If there is no medical indication, we won't perform the scan.
Do you provide medical diagnoses or treatment?
No. Vitary does not diagnose medical conditions or provide medical treatment.
We use your measurements together with information about your lifestyle, goals and health to create a personalized action plan. We help you understand your results, identify the areas where change is likely to have the greatest impact, and translate the scientific evidence into practical options that fit your life.
Our lifestyle recommendations focus on areas such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep and recovery. They are intended to support your health and wellbeing, not to replace medical diagnosis or treatment.
If a result requires medical assessment, diagnosis or treatment, we will advise you to discuss it with your GP or another qualified healthcare professional. Where specialist lifestyle support is useful, we may recommend working with an appropriate professional, such as a dietitian, physiotherapist or personal trainer.
How is a DEXA scan different from an MRI?
They are designed to answer very different questions. A whole-body MRI creates detailed images of organs and tissues and may identify structural abnormalities that need further medical investigation. A Vitary DEXA scan is not a diagnostic scan and is not used to screen for cancer or other diseases: it measures your body composition and bone health (fat mass, visceral fat, lean mass and bone mineral density). The goal is not to look for hidden disease, but to understand where you stand today on these specific parameters and which aspects of your health you can work on.
Can a DEXA scan detect cancer or other diseases?
No. A body-composition DEXA scan is not a cancer screening or whole-body diagnostic scan. It measures body composition and bone mineral density. It is not designed to look for tumours or abnormalities in your organs.
Why not just use a scale or a smart body-fat monitor?
A scale gives you one number for your whole body, and that number cannot tell you whether you lost fat or muscle or have low bone mineral density. A bio-impedance monitor, the kind in a smart scale, sends a small current through you and estimates the split from how easily it passes. This estimate shifts with how much you have drunk, eaten or trained that day. A DEXA measures the tissues separately and by region, so it can say where fat sits rather than only how much there is.
How accurate is DEXA?
DEXA is considered one of the most accurate and clinically well-established methods for measuring body composition and bone mineral density. It can pick up relatively small changes in fat and lean mass, which makes it particularly useful for tracking change over time. For follow-up scans we recommend measuring under similar conditions wherever possible.
What type of DEXA scanner do you use?
We use a Hologic Horizon A, a clinical-grade DEXA system used in hospitals, clinics and research centres around the world.
It uses very low-dose X-rays to measure body composition and bone mineral density. For body composition, it allows us to distinguish fat mass from lean mass and estimate visceral fat stored around the organs in your abdomen.
The scan itself takes only a few minutes and is completely non-invasive: no injections, contrast agents or enclosed scanner.
How do I get to Vitary?
Vitary is located at Bos en Lommerplantsoen 3F in Amsterdam and is easy to reach by car, bicycle and public transport; several tram and bus stops are within walking distance. Coming by car, there is parking at Parking Bos en Lommerplantsoen directly behind the building. Enter through the barrier and pay at the barrier when you leave.
How should I prepare for my scan?
No special preparation is required. Try to arrive normally hydrated and avoid a very large meal or strenuous exercise shortly beforehand. For follow-up measurements, keeping the conditions similar between scans makes the comparison as meaningful as possible.
What should I wear?
For an accurate measurement, the scan is performed in your underwear. Please make sure there is no metal, such as an underwired bra or jewellery, in the area being scanned. So wear underwear without metal, and remove jewellery and piercings before the scan.
How long does the appointment take?
Your appointment takes approximately 45 minutes. The DEXA scan itself takes only a few minutes; most of your visit is spent going through your results and translating them into practical, personal next steps.
When will I receive my results?
You see and discuss your results during the same appointment. We explain what the measurements mean for you and translate them into personal next steps, and you receive your DEXA report to take home.
Is it covered by insurance?
Vitary's DEXA assessment is a self-pay preventive health service and, to our knowledge, is not currently reimbursed by Dutch health insurers. The price includes your DEXA scan, the physician review, your results and personal guidance.
Who performs the scan?
Your scan is performed by a trained member of the Vitary team. A licensed physician reviews and approves your request beforehand and provides the required medical oversight.
We read what we find against your age, your lifestyle, your sleep and your goals, and translate it into practical steps for exercise, nutrition, recovery and stress.
- Launch offer €199, until 31 December, then €299.all-in