These body fat scales then combine the analyses of the segmented parts of your body to compile a total body fat percentage and then display your BMI on the scale. Some body fat scales also have a handle with additional metal electrodes that send another electrical current through your upper body. Body fat contains less water than muscle tissue, so it takes longer for the current to travel through fat.
In general, the higher the bioelectrical impedance, or resistance to electrical current, the higher your body fat percentage. These algorithms combine the bioelectric impedance measure with other inputs such as your total body weight, height, sex, age, and potentially even your fitness level, depending on the quality of the body fat scale. The electrical current flows more easily through body tissues that contain more water (blood, muscle, urine) compared to drier tissue (fat and bone).īased on how quickly the electrical current passes through your body, the body fat scale then can predict the percentage of body fat. When you stand on a body fat scale, the soles of your feet contact electrodes that send a small, harmless electrical current up your legs. How do body fat scales work?īody fat scales use a method called bioelectrical impedance to measure your body fat percentage. The principle behind this kind of body fat calculator is that electrical current travels differently through body fat and lean tissue because the resistance of these tissues to electrical current is not the same. Hunnes says that body fat percentage is a better indication of health and disease risk than BMI, which does not consider your body composition. “So a female who weighs 140 pounds will be carrying between 28–42 pounds of fat on body, and a male (whose healthy body fat percent range is around 11–20%) who weighs 180 pounds will be carrying 19–36 pounds of fat.”ĭr. Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, who is a registered dietitian and the clinical director at UCLA Medical Center. “Most average individuals will have body fat percentages in a healthy range of between 20–30%, meaning of their total weight, 20–30% of that is fat mass,” explains Dr. Athletes who have a lot of muscle mass or a lean physique have a low body fat percentage and a higher relative proportion of lean bone mass (muscle, bone, nerves, organs, blood, etc.). What is body fat percentage, and why does it matter?īody fat percentage refers to the relative amount of your body weight that is composed of adipose tissue, or fat.
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