1. The Body Fat Scale Concept
The concept behind this futuristic way of weighing yourself is that the amount of fat on your body is more important than your weight. So if the scale says you carry a higher percentage of fat on your body, then the worse shape you're in even if you're relatively slender.
2. The Way It Works
A body fat scale using a technique referred to as Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, or BIA, for short. This technique sends a small, harmless electrical current through your body through one foot, which that exits through your other foot. The theory behind the technique is that since your body is made mostly out of water, this water is a great conductor for electricity. Fat isn't and provides more resistance, so the more fat you have, the longer it'll take for the electricity to move through your body. It actually measures body density and uses a formula to guess at your body fat.
3. Athlete or a Couch Potato
To use a body fat scale, you need to input your weight, sex and age. This information will help the scale's computer come up with the body fat composition formula to give you the closest accurate reading. Your fitness level is also important and most body fat scales want to know if you classify yourself as a coach potato or athlete. Usually there's only 2 options, with no in between fitness reading. To qualify for athlete status on one of the most popular body fat scales, the Tanita scale, you must have a resting heart rate of 60 and work out for over 10 hours a week. After you've punched in the numbers, all you need to do is step on the scale and read the body fat percentage that pops up on the screen a few minutes later.
4. The Downside of Body Fat Scales
The body fat percentage is only so accurate, since people are so different when it comes to body size, fitness level, ethnicity, age and gender. Most scales take into account a few of these factors, but not enough to make the reading wholly accurate. Plus if you happen to have been drinking a lot of water before you weighed yourself, then your readings could show an inaccurate lower fat reading. If you're a bit dehydrated, then your readings could inaccurately increase your fat composition.
5. When Not Use a Body Fat Scale
It's pointless to use a body fat scale every day. Fat composition changes too slowly to provide you with accurate results that you can actually use to gauge your weight loss. Even weekly readings may be too much. Using the body fat scale once a month is probably good enough in most cases.
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