I’ve gotten curious about BIA scales. I tried looking into it a bit, but there are so many, with so many different functions, and some models really seemed to be, well, a little bit snake oily. I was wondering if you had any opinion on their usefulness as a measure of health and fitness, and whether or not you had a recommendation of any particular model or features. Aubrey
For those of you who aren’t familiar with BIA, BIA stands for Bioelectrical Impadence. Basically, it sends a tiny electrical current through your body and based on how quickly or slowly the impulse travels, and your information you entered (age, weight, height, etc) it reads your body fat percentage.
For actual evidence and study of the accuracy of BIA, variables that affect readings, plus the pros and cons, read this article at Formula for Life. I can’t say it any better myself.
We use this method at work, except in handheld form, and I can tell you right now its not always accurate. Sometimes clients will drop weight and inches, but their body fat percentage goes up: impossible.
Machines are machines and they aren’t always accurate. Just like regular old digital scales, the reading can flutuate depending on what scale you use. I always recommed using machines like this to gauge change, as opposed to looking for accurate readings. In other words, if you step on the scale one week, and it reads 160 pounds, then next week 158, I would veiw that as a 2 pound change, not that that your weight is actually 158.
The only way to get real answers is to do all the math yourself. If you are really concerned with knowing your body fat, you can use calipers, or you can do the equations below:
My verdict? Don’t waste your money. Aside from having one more number to obsess about (isn’t weight enough) you will drive yourself crazy with the inconsistent readings you are bound to get.