How Accurate Is Body Fat Measurement On The Scale?

If you exercise regularly and adopt a healthy diet, but the numbers on the scale still don't show progress, it may be time for you to start paying attention to your body fat percentage. One way that can be used to measure body fat is to use a scale that provides measurement features.

This type of scale, besides displaying your overall body weight. It can also estimate the percentage of fat in our bodies. But, are the results of measuring the percentage of fat accurate? Let's look at the explanation below together, Ladies!

Why is measuring body fat important?

When trying to lose weight, measuring body fat is just as important as measuring your overall weight. Sports activities that are carried out, besides being able to burn calories, can also increase muscle mass.

Increasing muscle mass in a person's body can cause the results of the weight scale to show the same number still. It can even increase, even though we have succeeded in burning fat.

Someone trying to gain weight should also frequently check the fat percentage in their body. The results of measuring the body fat percentage can be used to assess whether you are getting a healthy fat and muscle ratio. Do not let the weight gain just because more and more fat is stored in the body.

How do body fat scales work?

This type of scale works with the help of sensors located under the soles of the feet and uses electrical impedance. When you step on the scales, a small electric current will flow through your feet and across your pelvis to measure the amount of resistance of body fat. Then, the existing sensors will measure the level of resistance that the electric current encounters as it flows through the other leg.

Your weight measurement results and estimated body fat percentage will be displayed. As a rule, the higher the resistance found, the higher the percentage of fat in the body. Fat contains less water than muscle, making it difficult for electric current to pass.

Muscle is denser than fat.

Are the results accurate?

Generally, this scale can only be used as a rough estimate of body fat percentage. Even though it is safe to use, several factors can affect the results, including the following:

1. Gender. Naturally, women have a greater percentage of body fat than men.
2. The location of fat storage in the body.
3. Pregnancy. Scales of this type are not recommended for use when pregnant.
4. Age. This type of scale is not suitable for children.
5. Height.
6. Frequency of weight and endurance training performed.

What is the difference between body fat percentage and body mass index (BMI)?

BMI is a more reliable indicator of health than measuring body fat. Although it cannot measure fat, BMI can provide an overall picture of whether a person is in the ideal weight range according to age and height.

The weakness that must be considered if you only rely on BMI is that this indicator does not consider fat percentage. So people with large muscle mass, for example, an athlete, can have a BMI value that is too large compared to their age and weight. Therefore, combining the two indicators, body fat percentage, and BMI, is better to get a clearer picture of our body's health condition.

BMI values also consider a person's height

Scales with a feature of measuring the percentage of body fat can be helpful when we are trying to measure the fat in our bodies. Still, more than that indicator is needed to fully describe the condition of the ratio of fat and muscle. Instead, you can use other ways to measure body fat percentages, such as the waist measurement method, calipers, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning, or others.

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Source:

Cherney, K. & Meacham, J. (2023). How Accurate Are Body Fat Scales? [online]. https://www.healthline.com/health/body-fat-scale-accuracy