Are doctors scales accurate?

gemmadoel · February 2015

My home scales are 7lbs heavier than the doctors so im not sure which to believe or to go by? Anyone no if doctors scales are tested to see if they are accurate or not? And also which are the best scales to buy? Thanks

lisalsd1 · February 2015

My dr's scale always has me less than my home scale. So...I'm going to say that the lower # is the accurate #.

jeffrubinptacpt · February 2015

My doctors scale is always 5 lbs heavier. I feel like smashing it or stripping nude in the hallway (where they keep the scale) . I keep my clothes on and try to remember to just consistently weigh myself on the same scale.

hanajbanana · February 2015

pretty much all scales are inaccurate to a greater or lesser extent... I think as long as you're weighing yourself on the same one for logging and see a downward trend that's the main thing. When you're close to, or at goal weight it might be worth taking your weight on a couple of different scales to get an average and make sure your main scale isn't ridiculously far out :-)

caratayloruk · February 2015

I don't think it matters too much as long as you pick one scale to use consistently and try to weigh yourself at the same time each week.

My GP's scales generally have me a few lb heavier but then i'm weighing with clothes on and later in the day then when i weigh at home

caratayloruk · February 2015

I don't think it matters too much as long as you pick one scale to use consistently and try to weigh yourself at the same time each week.

My GP's scales generally have me a few lb heavier but then i'm weighing with clothes on and later in the day then when i weigh at home

gemmadoel · February 2015

I found some of my brothers weights and put them on my scales and turns out there only 1 pound heavier, so doctor scales are wrong!

beemerphile1 · February 2015

Weight gained or lost is what matters, not the current weight. You need to use the same scale all the time for an accurate measure of changes.

That said, the doctors scale is probably more reliable than a $9.99 scale from a discount store, I imagine the doctor's cost a lot more.

Huppdiwupp · February 2015

Medical scales should be calibrated and accurate to a few hundred grams. I suggest you take your own scale to the doctor next time; your body weight can vary quite a bit during the day.

NJGamerChick · February 2015

Medical scales should be calibrated, but many aren't validated near enough to check for errors. Since most times you're looking for trends, the trend should be about the same amount of weight on both scales, no matter the number. I trust my home scale more than the doctor's scale. Why? Because I usually weigh in the morning naked, and I have consumed fluids and solids when I go to the doctor, and clothes do vary in weight.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics · February 2015

Scales are trending tools only. I doubt if many of them are completely accurate; they're just meant to show you the change in your weight over time. I find most doctors offices are pretty close to my home scale, but I would only log weigh ins from one scale.

mike_ny · February 2015

They use scales that are rated for commercial usage and besides being more accurate, they also get calibrated on a regular basis, so yes the doctors scales win. My doctor weighs me with clothes, though, so that adds a few pounds depending on what I'm wearing and what's in my pockets.

The important thing isn't the accuracy, it's consistency. Getting your correct weight is nice, but whatever scale you use consistently over time is how you track progress.

Also, don't get too hung up on the numbers. Weight fluctuates for all kinds of reasons. How your clothes fit is a much better indicator of success.

Slasher09 · February 2015

I worked in a GP office. We do have to have the scales inspected for accuracy by the state on a fairly often basis. The scales have an inspection sticker on them (much like a car inspection sticker). I would say they are pretty accurate. The nurses usually weigh themselves on them as well, so if they start going inaccurate they can usually catch it pretty quickly and get it re-calibrated. For that reason I know a lot of offices have switched to digital. Weight is considered a vital sign, so we need to know if you have actually gained 5 lbs in the last week because it could be a symptom of something we need to know about.

I tell people the biggest reason you weigh more at the docs than at home is because at home you are probably naked, just woke up (haven't eaten in a while) and just went to the bathroom. At the docs you are clothed, hydrated and ate up to three meals already (depending on appointment time)

dalansteiner · May 2015

I actually walked around the hospital to different clinics and weighed myself on the various scales. Less than a pound variance! Then I drove straight home and my home scale was 4-5 lbs heavier.

I agree a scale is a trending tool, but I still want an accurate one. I would even pay a calibration service to visit semiannually. But hey, I run an assay lab so to me accuracy is crucial.

Gabrielm80 · May 2015

My doctor claimed his scale wad accurate and I never believed him. One day I went to two different rooms so I could get an ekg and they weighed me to save time looking it up, I lost 6 pounds walking down a hall. I reported it and he said it must of been a recording error. So the nurse, myself, and the chart are wrong we all must seeing things. I go to a general doctor that also does weight loss specialist for people and all her scales are accurate to each other. Not every office had good scales.

nooshi713 · June 2018

My doctor's scale is up to 10 lbs heavier! At home and on my mom's scale at her house I am lighter. 2 different doctors offices have me way heavier. I asked about it and they insist their scales are calibrated and accurate. So, I dont know what to believe.

rheddmobile · June 2018

nooshi713 wrote: »

My doctor's scale is up to 10 lbs heavier! At home and on my mom's scale at her house I am lighter. 2 different doctors offices have me way heavier. I asked about it and they insist their scales are calibrated and accurate. So, I dont know what to believe.

The doctor's scale is much more likely to be correct. Most home scales are made in a way which makes it impossible for them to be accurate within a couple of percent or so. But it's also likely that the difference is water weight because of when you are weighing.

try2again · June 2018

It doesn't matter. Our weight fluctuates all the time- we don't have a "true weight"- so it's a moving target anyway. It only matters what your trend is, over time, under the same conditions, on the same scale.

I bought a new scale for home after having lost something like 25 lbs. The new scale read 11 lbs higher than the old one. It was a bummer mentally, but it didn't mean I hadn't lost 25 lbs.

swhiteism · June 2018

I go by my boyfriend’s scale because that is what I started tracking my weight on. My own scale, which I bought a few a weeks into this, is consistently 1-2 lbs heavier. Same brand, but mine is glass. Although I do have mental goals of getting to certain numbers I don’t really care about the fluctuations because I’ve lost the same amount of weight either way.

mbaker566 · June 2018

the dr scale is always heavier for me. later in the day. wearing clothes and boots

it's more about using the same scale so you are consistent. if you weigh at the gym, use the same scale. if you weigh at home, same time with same variables

Are doctors scales accurate?

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