An old-fashioned spring- or lever-mechanism weight scale will only tell you how much you weigh. Some digital scales, on the other hand, are capable of providing much more information. Depending on the type of scale you've got, a digital scale might display none, all or some of the following in addition to your weight: Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat weight or percentage, and body water percentage.
Step 1
Start with your weight. If the scale displays a small "kg" next to the weight, the reading is being measured in kilograms. If you see a "lb" next to the weight number, it's being measured in pounds. One kilogram is equal to about 2.2 pounds.
Step 2
Understand that the BMI isn't a direct percentage of body fat or weight to height, and for some people--particularly those who are heavy because they carry a lot of muscle, not fat--the BMI might give an anomalous reading. But for most individuals, the BMI gives a reliable indicator of whether you are within the ideal weight range. Adult BMI is calculated based on height and weight. For children, the BMI calculations also take into account age and gender. If your scale only asks you to input height (it will measure the weight) but not gender or age, you can assume that it's only capable of measuring BMI for adults.
Step 3
Remember that your body is made up of mostly water. Some scales pass a very slight electrical charge through the body as a way of measuring the density of your body tissues. The degree to which the signal is impeded reveals whether it's passing through fat or lean mass, which includes muscle and bone. Your scale might display this information as what percentage of your body weight is fat or as how many pounds of your body weight are fat. A reading of 22 percent to 25 percent body fat is typical in women, while 15 percent to 18 percent is typical for men. This technique is also capable of analyzing what percent of your body's weight is made up of water; see "Resources" below for a link to a table of healthy body water percentages in relation to percentage of body fat.
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