Body Fat Measuring instruments

[Kenpo123]

I have seen quite a few Body Fat measuring instruments on the market these days including on digital scales. Does anyone have any input as to whether the digital scales with body fat measuring really works, or, a preference to a particular instrument a person can purchase for home use?

[KickChick]

There are scales and hand held devices available today that have a body fat analyzer which utilizes BIA... Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, for measuring body fat percentage. A tiny electrical current is applied through your body when your thumbs are pressed against the two measuring electrodes or when you step onto the scale barefooted. This harmless electrical current is used to precisely measure your body impedance or resistance and which can be used to compute your body fat percentage. The result is usually displayed on a LCD screen.

 

BIA technology is based on the fact that body fat and muscle have different resistance when a small electrical current is applied.

 

The higher percent of fat, the higher resistance... and vice versa, the higher percent of muscle(which contains mostly of water), the lesser of resistance. By combining the result from measuring a person's body resistance, weight and height, a BIA device can accurately and consistently estimate your body fat percentage.

 

The accuracy of BIA measurement is within 5 percent of DEXA measurements. DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) is one of the most accurate method for measuring body fat percentage and is found in most clinical hospitals.

 

This site might help you ....

 

http://www.new-fitness.com/body_fat_measuring.html

[Kenpo123]

Thanks Kickchick!! : Your knowledge base continues to impress me.