These Body Fat Monitors Give A Much More Complete Picture Than BMI Alone

Getting in shape means different things to different people; for those that are just looking to lose weight, a standard bathroom scale will be helpful in tracking progress. But there are many people who are looking to lose weight and build muscle mass at the same time. A weight scale won’t be very helpful in that case, because you could be building muscle without your weight changing. That’s what makes having a body fat monitor around so crucial. They’re operated in the same way as a bathroom scale — step on them, and wait for a readout. But they’re capable of so much more.

You might be wondering how a scale could possibly differentiate muscle mass from body fat, and the science behind it is pretty brilliant. A body fat scale works by sending a small electric current through one foot and waiting for a return signal through the other foot. Since fat doesn’t conduct electricity well, the longer the signal takes to transmit, the higher the presence of body fat. The scale uses this to make an estimate of the body fat. While this method is incapable of producing 100% accurate results, it can be a good way to track progress over time and gauge other health factors. These options have app compatibility, making it easy to pair your body fat monitor with a fitness tracking app, as well.