Dual-energy absorptiometry is used to estimate intramuscular adipose tissue metrics and display results, preferably as related to normative data. The process involves deriving x-ray measurements for respective pixel positions related to a two-dimensional projection image of a body slice containing intramuscular adipose tissue as well as subcutaneous adipose tissue, at least some of the measurements being dual-energy x-ray measurements, processing the measurements to derive estimates of metrics related to the intramuscular adipose tissue in the slice, and using the resulting estimates. Processing the measurements includes an algorithm which places boundaries of regions, e.g., a large region and a smaller region. The regions are combined in an equation that is highly correlated with intramuscular adipose tissue measured by quantitative computed tomography in order to estimate intramuscular adipose tissue.