Body fat analyzers serve the purpose of monitoring your body fat levels, assisting you in managing your body fat percentage. Particularly during weight loss efforts, it’s just as crucial to monitor your body fat as it is to keep an eye on your total body weight. Engaging in regular exercise doesn’t automatically signal a change in body fat levels. While exercise promotes muscle development, this could lead to an increase, or possibly no change, in your weight as shown on the scale.
How Do They Work?
They are used almost the same as the normal weight scales. When you step on the scale, it measures your body fat percentage and weight. This is possible because of sensors that utilize bioelectrical impedance. This feature shoots electrical currents up your leg and across your pelvis when you step on the scale.
With the help of the sensors in the scale, it then measures the resistance from body fat as the current goes down through the other leg. In addition to total body fat, these scales also water, bone density, and muscle. Since fat has a higher resistance when compared to the other elements, resulting in calculations of more body fat percentage.
How Accurate Are They?
One of the biggest concerns for customers as they buy body fat analyzers is if they work. It is said that body fat scales don’t give the finer details when giving BFP readings, rather just an estimate. Also, a lot of factors might affect the results when measuring your BFP. These may include your age, gender, height and stature, pregnancy, where your body stores its fats, as well as your frequent endurance and resistance training. This guide also gives a FitTrack comparison to help reveal the accuracy of measuring BFP. Further studies have been done to establish how accurate this method is.
Pros and Cons
Body fat scales have both the good and the bad sides. One of the biggest advantages of body fat scales is that they are convenient. They are safe and you can use it from the comfort of your home or gym. While they are said to be inaccurate to some extent, they are a great way to help you keep track of your fitness and weight loss routine. This is if you consistently take the measurements.
On the downside, they are not accurate when it comes to measuring BFP, you want to incorporate it with something else. Usually, they are considered to either overestimate or underestimate measurements.
Also, they give overall results as opposed to pinpointing the exact place where the fat has accumulated. Instead, you want to know exactly where the dangerous fat is stored. This is because you are susceptible to some diseases when fat is stored in some specific places. For instance, midsection fat is usually linked to cardiovascular diseases.
Wrap Up
Body fat scales are a good way to gauge your body fat, although they might not give the most accurate results. That’s why it is always advised to use them with other tools for more accurate measurements. Combine BMI with body fat scales and involve your doctor who will point you to the right direction.