Scales that measure body fat percentage

jbug100

Hi everyone!
Does anyone have any experience with scales that measure body fat as well as weight? Are they accurate, and how can it make that determination? Are they expensive? I'm happy with my weight and now more interested in fine tuning.
Thanks friends!

UpToAnyCool

bump (good question, jbug100!) :flowerforyou:

Christie81

I have one and it's a little off. Here is a website that will calculate your BF % based on your mesurements. It's pretty darn accurate. http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/body-fat-percentage-calculator.php

mallorybriann

I have one and it is wayyy off. Like 10% off. It's a scale my fiance bought me from Walmart. Also measure hydration levels.

christina_michelle

I just did the site above that was mention (fitclick) and it seemed pretty accurate. I was about 26% which I can believe...hope to get down to 21% though

TrainingWithTonya

A primer on Body Fat Calculations:

Least Accurate--Formulas based on measurements and calipers. They basically look at the topical body fat (body fat directly under the skin) and not the visceral body fat (body fat around the organs). No matter how many times you do them they still can't "see" the fat deep in the body. They will also vary depending on the skill level of the person administering them. Someone who has practiced for a while and has been properly trained in using calipers will be more accurate then someone who just buys a pair of calipers at GNC with no training in how to properly pinch with them, but even with proper training, there is a 10% window of variability.

Moderately Accurate--Bioelectrical Impedance (BEI). There are several ways that bioelectrical impedance can be done. The cheapest and least accurate are the scales and handheld devices that use an electrical current through half the body. The scales go through the lower half of the body and the handhelds go through the upper half of the body. Because they don't look at the whole body, they can over or under estimate body fat percentage. To be more accurate with bioelectrical impedance, you should use a professional device that hooks electrodes up at the hands and feet to scan the whole body. These are typically only available in clinical settings or high end gyms. The drawbacks to any BEI are that water levels will influence the reading. The more hydrated you are, the lower the reading of body fat %. Also, some scales don't do BEI, but give you a reading for BMI. BMI is body mass index and has nothing to do with body fat %. It is merely a height to weight ratio that is used for population classification because it is easier to acquire the numbers for large populations because you just have to ask them their height and weight instead of actually scanning their body for accurate body fat percentages. .

Most Accurate--Bod Pod, Hydrostatic Weighing, DEXA Scan. These are much more accurate but are extremely expensive so they are usually only offered at universities, hospitals, etc. Bod Pod is a way of measuring air displacement while you sit in this thing that looks like a giant egg, in basically only your underwear. Hydrostatic Weighing is similar in that you are in as few clothes as possible. You then have to blow out all your air (or as much as possible) so that you can be weighed underwater because fat floats and muscle, bones, organs, etc. sink. DEXA Scan is kind of like an x-ray or MRI. It scans the whole body and literally sees the fat and muscles. It would be the most accurate but also the most expensive.