Body Fat Scales

I just bought a new scale, and it shows percent body fat. Are these scales usually accurate? I'm 5'1", and 121.6 lbs as of today, and have a good amount of muscle (though also big boobs, not skinny but approaching where I shouldn't lose too much more), and the scale shows that I have 27% body fat. This sounds high to me - more than a quarter of my weight is fat! Right? I know it's in the "normal" range for a female, but does that sound accurate? I'm going to go to the gym and have the trainer check my body fat, but I was just wondering, before I get there, if I should suspect that my scale is off or not.

Thanks!

Wed. Jan 4, 11:13am

It's very easy for these to be off. They're more useful for comparison over time than for the absolute numbers. Also be aware that your hydration state will make a difference in the body fat reading, maybe 1-2%. Can't be helped, the circuitry can't distinguish them, and assumes some "average" water content.
The gym may or may not do any better. But at least that gives you something to compare. If they use calipers and measure skinfolds at many points, the results can be more accurate than the electrical or infrared devices if the person doing taking measurements does them precisely according to the instructions for the formula they're using.
The hydrostatic method (underwater weighing), the Bod Pod, and full body DEXA scans are the most accurate, but they aren't so easy to find.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006, 11:23 AM

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