Can a scale measure body fat? Is it a waste of money?

A small scale

You can actually measure your friend's body fat by standing on it

There are many other features

Is it accurate?

I don't know when it started, but the scale is no longer just a simple "measurement of weight". Many scales can not only measure weight, but also various data such as "body fat", "body water", "muscle mass", etc.

Just stand barefoot on the platform, and after a while a long list of different indicator data will be transmitted to the mobile phone, which makes the friends exclaim "magic". Many friends also wonder, are these data reliable? Is it "black technology" or "IQ tax"?

So let's study today: What exactly is body fat? Is it reliable to measure body fat with a scale? How to choose a scale with a body fat function?

01 Interesting Talk about What is Body Fat

Body fat actually refers to the fat in our human body .

At present, a large number of household scales available on the market have a certain function of measuring body fat . They mainly detect the body fat rate (BFR for short) of the human body.

This situation directly led people to put forward the view that "to measure whether a person is overweight or underweight, we cannot simply rely on weight data, but also need to pay attention to body fat percentage."

It is undeniable that body fat percentage has become one of the key indicators in today's society to judge whether an individual's body shape is well-proportioned .

Body fat percentage is also known as body fat percentage , which represents the proportion of fat content in the human body to the total body mass.

As we all know, if the body fat percentage is too high, it will cause obesity problems , and to a certain extent may also increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases , hypertension and cancer .

Therefore, in our daily lives, we should strive to keep our body fat percentage relatively healthy and stable.

At the same time, many fitness enthusiasts are keen on pursuing high muscle mass and low body fat percentage , and even have a misunderstanding. The excessive pursuit of low body fat percentage makes them mistakenly believe that the lower the body fat percentage, the more ideal the health status and the more prominent the body lines.

However, we should realize that not all body fat is harmful .

First of all, fat can store and supply energy to the body, reducing the loss of protein.

Secondly, the fat under the skin has a certain thermal insulation effect , while the fat in the body can also provide protection and support for the organs, ensuring the normal functioning of the organs.

Finally, fat is also a key element for cells to maintain normal shape and function .

Blindly pursuing low body fat may, to a certain extent, cause symptoms such as hormone imbalance, decreased immunity, and may even lead to organ dysfunction. In severe cases, it may also cause more serious consequences such as arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death .

02 Don’t be too superstitious, if you take it too seriously you will lose!

Professional measurement technology for body fat percentage is relatively complex in the medical field .

The measurement methods involved include formula calculation method, skin fold thickness method, bioelectrical impedance method, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, underwater weighing method and many other standards.

However, the household scales we use in daily life usually use the bioimpedance method to measure body fat percentage.

The basic principle is that when a weak electric current passes through the human body , the proportion of fat in the human body can be inferred by calculating the convenience of current transmission.

Although this type of method is simple, fast and less time-consuming , the accuracy of the measurement process may be affected to a certain extent by many factors .
First, because the area of ​​contact with the electrode pad on the home scale is relatively limited , the body fat percentage value obtained may not fully reflect the actual situation;
Secondly, factors such as daily diet, drinking water, bathing and other behaviors may interfere with the measurement of body fat percentage, and even standing posture may have a certain impact on it;
Finally, when measuring body fat percentage, home scales mainly rely on software to use relevant big data for reference and judgment , so if users modify personal height, age, gender and other information, the results may be biased . Therefore, using a home scale to measure body fat at home is still useful as a self-control , but if you want to get accurate results , it is recommended that you go to the hospital for detailed testing.

03 Tips for choosing a weight scale with body fat function

1. Big, really big

It is recommended that friends choose models with large metal plates as much as possible when purchasing this type of scale. The reason for emphasizing this feature is that the important basis for measuring body fat level is the contact area between the metal plate and the body .

Therefore, from a theoretical point of view, the larger the contact surface , the more accurate the measurement results will be.

Furthermore, in order to achieve higher precision, it is recommended to choose equipment equipped with multiple metal sheets . For example, high-end products are generally equipped with handles, and the surface of the handle is also covered with metal sheets.

2. It is best to choose an algorithm model based on Chinese people

Because people in different regions have great differences in physical fitness, it is recommended that friends choose a scale that is suitable for the Chinese algorithm model , which will help reduce certain measurement errors.