Scale in different country - different weight

naou
naou Posts: 27 Member
in Motivation and Support
It might be a stupid question but I was just curious.

I was in Greece recently and I went to a pharmacy to buy some medicine and I saw a medical scale there (similar to this one http://www.ng.all.biz/img/ng/catalog/956.jpeg?rrr=1) so I decided to check my weight.
It said I was 71 kg. It's crazy because there's no way I'm 71 kg. I've been checking my weight on my scale home since I started my diet, I've tried 2 other scales and got approximately the same weight as the one at home.

What confuses me is that my dad had a medical exam a few days before going to Greece and he said his weight was the same as the one on the scale at the pharmacy.

So now I don't know which scale I should trust. I mean look at me, as I said, no way I weight 71 kg, but what if all those scales are wrong?

How can I tell if a scale is accurate or not?

Replies

  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    You're about 179 lb? And 71 kg is about 156 lb. What I would suggest is when you get home, see your doctor or practise nurse and have them weigh you. I don't think a change in altitude or latitude would result in a 20+ pound difference (unless on an aeroplane? OK, tried checking that but the math made my head hurt - looks like not even possible cruising at 35,000 feet).

    Using some scales that by law must be accurate, and then comparing that weight to your bathroom scales would be how I'd go about checking accuracy. I'm not sure how strict Greece is on compliance (I assume there is an EU directive on the matter... Non-Automatic Weighing Instrument Directive 90/384/EEC as amended by Directive 93/68/EEC), but in England in 2008 it was found 1 in 3 scales in clinical settings were either inaccurate, calibrated incorrectly, or the wrong type. Class IV scales are suitable for tracking weight in adults, although Class III scales are more accurate and the minimum accuracy required for weighing children (Class II and Class I are even more accurate but I'm not sure if those are only for measuring the weight of medicines).

    The only problem I'd have then is, if my scales I have been using throughout are inaccurate, how I would go about transitioning to some new scales knowing most of my previous data is suspect.
  • aalicia88
    aalicia88 Posts: 77 Member
    Sign me up for one of those scales! lol but in all seriousness, I have no idea that seems so off? are you weighing yourself with an old scale? my old scale was off by 11 pounds -_-
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
    Isn't how you look that matters? I know it would be preferable to know your "actual" weight... but I'd say just stick one scale. You'll still get your trends with that... and the error will hopefully at least be consistent.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Are the scales sitting on carpet? Sounds stupid but it'll give an inaccurate reading (or so I've found) if its not on a firm surface.
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    Isn't how you look that matters? I know it would be preferable to know your "actual" weight... but I'd say just stick one scale. You'll still get your trends with that... and the error will hopefully at least be consistent.

    We're talking about over 20 pounds here, though. Calories required, suitable calorie deficit, BMR, TDEE, body fat calculations, MFP exercise calories, entering our weight in apps that track our exercise and exercise machines... most of us use scale weight for a lot more than just tracking our weight.
  • VioletNightshade
    VioletNightshade Posts: 197
    Sounds to me like the Greek pharmacy scale was off, if all the others are in agreement. It's not impossible, just because it's in a pharmacy, for it to be incorrect or broken.

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