A body composition scale analyzes how electrical signals flow through your body, estimating how much of your total weight is fat-free mass compared to body fat.
You may not always get every answer you want when standing on a scale to determine your weight.
Typically, a scale will just give you that reading of your total weight. But body composition scales do more, using a type of metric to analyze how electrical signals flow through your body and what resistance they hit for body fat.
Research is unclear on how accurate these types of body fat scales actually are, but they can be used as one piece of information in your weight management journey.
Body fat scales use what’s known as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a way to assess someone’s body composition.
These types of scales are easy to use. Here’s how they work:
- You simply step on the scale, which has sensors underneath your feet, and they send an electrical current up through your leg across the pelvis, through your body, and down the other leg.
- That electrical current isn’t harmful, and it travels at different speeds through fat and nonfat watery areas in your body.
- The scale measures how much resistance that current hits in your body, known as impedance.
- The scale calculates your body fat percentage, along with other body data such as your age, height, total weight, and gender.
- Different body fat scales include different features, but it may send that data to your smartphone, smartwatch, and other fitness apps you’ve connected.
What do body fat percentages mean?
Body fat percentage is the amount of fat in the body compared to muscle, bone, and water.
Research shows they are generally accurate, but they’re estimates only, and the results may vary based on several factors.
Items that may affect your body fat scale results include:
- gender (females at birth tend to naturally have more body fat than males at birth)
- where you store fat in your body
- height
- muscle mass
- people who exercise regularly through endurance and resistance training
The information provided by a body fat scale is one estimate that you can use in discussing your weight management goals and overall health with your doctor and care team.
Other ways to measure body fat
Check out these 10 best ways to measure body fat.
A body composition scale analyzes how electrical signals flow through your body, estimating how much of your total weight is fat-free mass compared to body fat.
You stand on the scale, and it provides a percentage of the fat it measures you have in your body.
This is just one piece of information to discuss with your healthcare team, to use in your larger care journey for weight management, other health conditions, and health in general.