Body Fat Scales Worth It?

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alliegator89
alliegator89 Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Are scales that measure body fat % worth it?

I am trying to decide if it is worth the extra money for a scale that measures body fat % or if I should just stick to weight and tape measurements.

Also, any scale suggestions?

Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    They're hugely inaccurate.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I don't think they can measure it, so I wouldn't pay extra for that feature. Some people like a scale that sends your weight to different electronic gadgets. Personally, I like entering my own weight, especially when it's a new low. :)

    I don't think one scale is better than another, but am not an expert on scale manufacturing and am sure someone who was would point out that some are and why they are.

    I got the Eat Smart because I know nothing about scales and it was the best seller on amazon, so fine, lol. It works well enough for me.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    stevencloser wrote: »
    They're hugely inaccurate.

    This^^

    I wouldn't personally spend money on them, but I wouldn't judge someone who did, since some of them will sync with apps like MFP, also.

    I have a run of the mill digital scale - I'm not even sure what brand it is. It was cheap. As long as they are consistent and accurate, that's all that matters.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    No, they are not worth it, even for trying to assess a trend rather than actual accuracy.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    They can be reasonably precise enough to show you a trend if you eat the same things every day and measure in the morning at the same time. They are not very accurate though. I think like +/-8%

    The problem is it fluctuates with your hydration levels
  • alliegator89
    alliegator89 Posts: 42 Member
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    Thanks all! I think I won't worry about spending the extra money on that feature then.
  • rigby619
    rigby619 Posts: 28 Member
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    Are the ones in the gym accurate? Where you hold the sides?
    How would a personal trainer measure body fat?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    rigby619 wrote: »
    Are the ones in the gym accurate? Where you hold the sides?
    How would a personal trainer measure body fat?

    No the gym ones aren't any better

    A PT might use calipers...again prone to innacuracy


    alliegator89 wrote: »
    Are scales that measure body fat % worth it?

    I am trying to decide if it is worth the extra money for a scale that measures body fat % or if I should just stick to weight and tape measurements.

    Also, any scale suggestions?

    No they aren't ...but they are ubiquitous and so you will probably get one ...just ignore the reading


    If you want a bf reading get a dexa scan

    But seriously just jump up and down nekkid in front of a mirror...if it jiggles and isn't boobs or genitals it's probably fat
  • slowrollem
    slowrollem Posts: 55 Member
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    But seriously just jump up and down nekkid in front of a mirror...if it jiggles and isn't boobs or genitals it's probably fat [/quote]

    Bahahaha! This had me belly laughing! Which consequently did jiggle.... :wink:
  • airbent
    airbent Posts: 150 Member
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    I have one, it never works. :P
  • 6502programmer
    6502programmer Posts: 515 Member
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    We have a Withings body analyzer. The weight is fairly accurate. I love that it automatically puts data in for myself, my wife, and our two kids. The pulse is 95% accurate to +/- 10%, which is good enough for me since Fitbit doesn't allow export of HR data. The BF reading I can't really speak to the accuracy, but with weighing every day, I can see that it's decent enough for recording relative trends. I do like the CO2 and temperature trending, and the weather display is useful for me as I walk to the bus.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    6502programmer wrote: »
    We have a Withings body analyzer. The BF reading I can't really speak to the accuracy, but with weighing every day, I can see that it's decent enough for recording relative trends.

    I have a Fitbit Aria wifi scale. The body fat measurement is useless—it sends a pulse up one leg and down the other, then guesstimates your upper body.

    But I love never having to log my weight. And it comes in black. I weigh daily, and sync it with Trendweight.com (it's free, and works with any Fitbit or Withings account ) to see the trend without the "noise" of water weight. There are other websites and apps that do the same thing.

    Take measurements and progress photos. They're free.

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