Some scales today can not only measure your overall weight, but also measure the percentage of fat and fat in your weight
Muscles, bones and water. Known as body-
Some people will also calculate your body mass index, or BMI, which will measure your weight based on your height.
There are also people who allow you to upload all this information to your smartphone or computer so that you can track changes in weight and other measurements over time, if you choose, share your progress with your fitness partner.
What features do we notice which models have, talk to the weight-
Loss experts understand how important it is to have these add-ons, and then do some testing to understand the working effects of the main features. The Body-
Fat bust we looked at six digital scales and gave readings of body weight and body fat (
Some people also calculate BMI)
The price ranges from $40 to $150.
We first looked at their performance on the most basic features: giving users an accurate weight.
To do this, we had seven men and eight women step on the electronic lab scale as a control and then weigh four times in two days per scale.
Five of the body
The fat scale can read the weight accurately, but one is Qardio QardioBase (
This happens to be one of the most expensive)
We usually overestimate the weight by 6 to 10 pounds, so we don\'t recommend this model. (
For more details, check out our rating and purchase Guide. )
When the findings were contacted, Qardio told us that it knew about the issue and claimed that it had corrected it.
The Consumer Report will investigate Qardio\'s fix and give details in the coming weeks.
At the same time, customers can ask for a refund or replacement at support @ getqardio. com. Rating a body-
The ability to measure body fat is more complex and the results are not impressive: none of them are very accurate.
We know this because we used a measurement tool called bodpod at the University of the Holy Heart in Fairfield, Connecticut to get the benchmark reading.
How do we test six volunteers?
Three men and three women, some heavy and some thin --
Climbed into the bodpod. The egg-
The forming device determines the body fat by accurately recording the changes in air pressure that occur when the body is sealed into a closed chamber. (
Studies have shown that the method is as accurate as other gold standards
Measure how much water the body will replace when pouring into a tank full of water
However, bodpod measurements are faster and easier to perform. )
The scales we test use current to measure body fat, and when you step barefoot on the metal foot pad of the device, the current passes through your body.
Tiny current
Too low to feel or cause any damage
Go through one leg, through your pelvis, and then through your other leg.
The resistance encountered during current exercise depends on the proportion of fat and muscle tissue.
Based on this, the scale uses the built-in
In the formula, the percentage of fat as a weight is estimated.
For some of our test subjects, the scales exaggerate their body fat;
For others, the balance underestimated it. The body-
The proportion of fat closest to the bodpod results is still as high as 21%;
The worst performers are 34%.
At least they are consistent though, so you can use a scale that scores better physically --
Track the fat repeatability of relative gains and losses over a period of time.
The wrong part of the device depends on the shape of the body.
Because the current only goes through your legs, if you have a big belly but the legs are getting thinner, the balance may underestimate body fat if your hips and thighs have more weight,
Depending on whether your feet are wet or dry, the results will be different (
According to the instructions, they should be done)
There have been no sports recently, how much water has been drunk.
These devices don\'t work well if you have an artificial hip or knee because men-
The materials manufactured interfere with the current.
Going back to basically, if a smart scale is not very good at determining your body\'s fat, what should a weight reader do?
You can go to a lab with a bodpod for $75 per section.
Or you can use tape measure and calculator.
\"Measure Twice: your body --
The quality index and your waist measurements, \"said Steven hemsfield. D.
He is a professor of metabolic and body composition at Baton Rouge\'s Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Los Angeles.
Is an expert in weight loss.
To calculate your BMI, divide your weight by your height (inches square );
Then multiply it by 703.
For example, 140-pound, 5-foot-6-
People with a Body Mass Index of 22. 6 (
140 divided by 66, divided by 66, multiplied by 703).
Certain BMI scales we study will be calculated for you.
Another option: use basic weightonly scale (
Taylor, $25, got the highest score in our previous stand up test
Separate digital scales)
Add this BMI calculator
The target BMI is between 18. 5 and 24. 9.
For men and women, BMI 25 years of age or older is considered overweight and BMI 30 years of age or higher is considered obese.
You should also pay attention to your waist circumference, as belly fat is more fat than elsewhere in the body and is associated with increased risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and early death.
Of women, a waist circumference of 35 inch or more is notable;
The height of a man is 40 inch.
The best way to measure the waist is a simple tape measure.
Just wrap it around your bare belly, about the level of your navel, and then measure it after you breathe out.
The privacy protection smart scale is designed to allow you to upload your weight and other health information to an app on your computer or mobile phone.
But other users can\'t see your numbers unless you choose to share your results.
Whether the body-
Another problem is that this information is accessible to fat scale manufacturers or software providers.
To learn what data is collected and how to use this information, read the permissions section in the application description and the privacy policy on the manufacturer\'s website.
Editor\'s note: The article also appeared in the March 2016 issue of Consumer Reports.
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