Scan or scam: Are elective full-body MRIs worth it?

This photo provided by Prenuvo in July 2024 shows an MRI scanner. Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields to produce detailed images of organs, bones and other structures inside the body. Unlike many other types of scans, MRIs don't use radiation. (Prenuvo via AP)

By Analysis by The Big Story podcast

Posted August 6, 2026 4:20 am.

Last Updated August 6, 2026 8:06 am.

Perhaps you’ve heard one on the radio, or got one before a video online, or maybe even seen one on transit, but ads for full-body MRIs are everywhere these days. They tell you to book an appointment, selling it as a preventative measure to catch something early. But it’s not something that’s actually recommended by any medical association — anywhere. So why have they become so popular?

Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with Dr. Matt Davenport, service chief and vice chair in the department of radiology and a professor at the University of Michigan, about what a full body MRI actually is, it’s potential value and harms, and if it’s something that you should actually consider getting.

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