60 Minutes rarely turns its attention from global headlines to personal health.
Yet on October 26, 2025, it profiled Dr. Peter Attia, exploring his philosophy of longevity medicine and the framework he calls Medicine 3.0.
Attia’s message was as simple as it was disruptive:
“The future of medicine isn’t about treatment — it’s about training.”
And training begins with measurement — with DEXA scans, VO₂ Max testing, and metabolic data, the same tools DexaFit has spent over a decade making accessible to the public.
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What the 60 Minutes Segment Unveiled
In conversation with Norah O’Donnell, Attia described a new paradigm for modern health — one that builds resilience rather than treats symptoms.
He focused on the marginal decade — those final 10 to 15 years when strength, balance, and independence collapse for most.
“At 75, both men and women fall off a cliff,” Attia said. “My goal? Make that decade as enjoyable as possible.”
He approaches health like an engineer: guided by data, not guesswork.
His Austin clinic doesn’t just extend lifespan — it forecasts healthspan.
The Core Tests Spotlighted on 60 Minutes
DEXA Scans — Measure bone density, lean mass, total fat, and visceral fat, the inflammation catalyst. Attia calls it “almost criminal negligence” that most people skip it until 65.
VO₂ Max Testing — Quantifies how efficiently the body converts oxygen into energy. Attia calls it “the single strongest predictor of longevity,” outperforming cholesterol and blood pressure.
Strength & Mobility Assessments — Gauge how the body performs under real-world stress.
These aren’t fitness gimmicks — they’re the metrics that define how well you’ll age.
DexaFit DEXA Body Composition Scan
DexaFit VO2 Max Fitness Test
The Metrics That Matter Most
Medicine 3.0 centers on four numbers that determine your trajectory:
Lean Mass — the muscle driving metabolism and mobility
Bone Density — the architecture resisting frailty and fracture
Visceral Fat — the hidden fat driving disease
VO₂ Max — oxygen efficiency, the most validated predictor of healthspan and mortality
Together they form your longevity blueprint — a map of what your body can become, not just what it is today.
From Research Labs to Mainstream Longevity
To many viewers, DEXA and VO₂ Max looked futuristic. In reality, they trace a familiar path — elite tools that became everyday essentials.
The Internet: Born as ARPANET, a 1960s DARPA network linking military and research computers to preserve communication during nuclear threats. It became the digital backbone of modern life.
GPS: A 1970s Department of Defense navigation system, declassified for civilian use in the 1980s. Today it guides everything from shipping to running routes.
Wearable biosensors: Developed through DARPA programs to monitor soldier vitals — now common in fitness trackers and health apps.
Longevity technology followed the same trajectory — precision once reserved for the few becoming empowerment for everyone.
DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) was invented in the 1980s by medical physicists to measure bone mineral density and detect osteoporosis with unprecedented accuracy.
By the early 2000s, it had evolved into the gold standard for body composition analysis, capable of differentiating fat, lean tissue, and bone mass to the gram.
DEXA quickly moved from research centers and athletic programs into clinical and preventive use — a cornerstone of modern precision health.
VO₂ Max has an even longer legacy.
First quantified in the 1920s by physiologist A.V. Hill, it became a cornerstone of military and sports science through the 1950s and 1970s.
The metric measures the body’s maximum ability to consume oxygen during exercise — a direct read on cardiovascular and mitochondrial capacity.
By the time Olympic and professional training centers adopted it, VO₂ Max had become one of the most clinically validated predictors of longevity ever recorded.
These are not trends. They’re democratized breakthroughs — tools once limited to astronauts, Olympians, professional athletes, and researchers, now available to anyone ready to measure and master how they age.
From Measurement to Momentum: Living the Attia Effect
Since 2011, DexaFit has turned elite science into everyday access, bringing DEXA, VO₂ Max, and metabolic testing out of labs and into local communities.
We manage one of the world’s largest proprietary databases of clinical-grade DEXA body composition and VO₂ Max results, supported by a growing library of insights and interventions for optimizing healthspan and longevity.
Across hundreds of thousands of tests, one pattern is clear: when people measure, they improve.
You walk in curious. You walk out clear.
Each DexaFit assessment translates data into direction:
DEXA Scans reveal your foundation — muscle, bone, and fat distribution.
VO₂ Max and Metabolic Testing quantify your cardiovascular and mitochondrial efficiency.
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) personalizes how you fuel and recover.
This isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress. About training for longevity instead of waiting for decline.
Your Marginal Decade Starts Now
Attia’s 60 Minutes segment wasn’t about data — it was about agency.
It reminded millions that strength, independence, and vitality don’t fade by fate; they fade through neglect.
At DexaFit, we help you measure what matters so you can act before it’s too late.
Every scan, every test, every data point becomes a mirror and a map — showing you how to move toward a longer, stronger future.
This is what Attia showed the world on 60 Minutes: when you measure the right things, you stop hoping for longevity and start building it.
You trade chance for clarity. You replace decline with direction.
Your marginal decade isn’t some distant future — it’s being built right now, one decision at a time.
Get DexaFit today. Measure what matters. Train with precision.
Extend your marginal decade — starting now.
Continue Your Longevity Learning Journey
Dr. Peter Attia’s 60 Minutes feature introduced millions to the science of measurable longevity.
If you’re ready to explore the data, principles, and tools behind it, here are more DexaFit articles to deepen your understanding:
Explore the Science of Measurement and Precision
NASA’s $125 Million Measurement Mistake: What It Teaches Us About Precision in Health
How one of NASA’s most costly errors illustrates why accuracy matters — in space exploration and in your own body measurements.How DEXA Scans Work: A Journey Through Your Body’s Composition
Discover how DEXA scanners map your bone, muscle, and fat distribution with unmatched precision.DexaFit DEXA Scans in the Spotlight: Netflix’s “You Are What You Eat” Experiment
See how DEXA technology became a star on Netflix — and what that means for the future of personalized health.
Master the Metrics That Define Longevity
Why VO₂ Max Declines With Age — and What You Can Do About It
Learn how to slow — and even reverse — one of the most reliable markers of aging.The History of VO₂ Max: From Research Labs to Longevity Medicine
Trace how a century-old lab metric became the #1 predictor of healthspan.Why VO₂ Max Is a Vital Sign — and Should Be Treated Like One
Understand why VO₂ Max belongs alongside heart rate, blood pressure, and body composition in your regular health checkups.VO₂ Max and Cognitive Longevity: The Brain–Body Connection
Explore how improving aerobic fitness can sharpen your memory, protect your brain, and extend mental performance.
