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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.