Is the Tanita body-fat scale accurate?
Asked by donnajea1963 on Jun 09, 2009
in Fitness
I just got a Tanita body-fat scale. It gave me a body fat reading of 15. I am a 46 year old type I diabetic, and, for the last year, I have been running for 60 minutes 5 days a week, and cross training with a recumbent bike and light weights. I was down to 110-111 lbs 3 or 4 months ago and now I am up to 113 but my measurements are smaller. My question is could this body fat reading be accurate? I understand my body fat ratio at my age should start at 25%.
Answer
Since your BMI of 19.4 is at the low end of the healthy range, your body fat could be 15 percent, although that level is usually reserved for athletes. The Tanita scale measures body-fat percentage in a process called bio-electrical impedance. Bio-electrical impedance scales reliably yield similar results at different times, but the results they yield are not necessarily valid. The readings can be affected by hydration levels, food intake, skin temperature, and other factors. To validate the results, you'd have to have your body composition measured with calipers or by underwater weighing. Read about how to test your body fat at About.com.
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