Body fat scale: The best way to find out the ugly truth
New scale makes it easier to measure body-fat percentage
By Shoshana Berger
Business 2.0
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The Tanita scale is as streamlined as Lara Croft.
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Editor's note: Gizmos Weekly is produced by Business 2.0 and features gadget reviews and gift ideas
(Business 2.0) -- Dr. Atkins may have exonerated the fat we eat, but he did little to improve the reputation of the fat we wear on our bodies.
The new line of body-fat scales from Tanita doesn't help matters much. I've tried several other body-fat scales, but this new model has features that make measuring and recording my body-fat percentages easier than ever -- not an altogether welcome improvement.
Still, looking as if it were designed by the same guy who dreamed up the starship Enterprise, the Tanita BF-578 makes getting on the scale, if not pleasant, at least a stylish experience.
Made from a thick circular plate of glass, accented with four silver footpads (one for each heel and set of toes) and a large digital readout, this scale is as streamlined as Lara Croft (and a little too thin like her too -- the scale can tip if you don't hop onto it correctly).
The Tanita uses the same body-fat measuring technology as all consumer-grade scales. A low-level electrical signal shoots up through the user's bare heels, courses through the mostly fluid body, then measures how much "impedance" the current encounters when it hits pockets of fat. Beyond the speedy digital readout, clean lines, and moderate price point, the best thing about the new Tanita is the size of its LCD, which makes it easier to read and program than previous models.
Each person in a family of four can punch in his or her own age, height, and athlete or couch-potato status. The scale compares today's readings with previous ones, and tells you whether you fall within a "healthy" spare-tire range for your age and height. And for postholiday weeks, when a fat measurement could cause serious psychological damage, there's a weight-only reading. (At least that number can be blamed on water retention!)
Other scales in the new Tanita line tell you how many calories you should consume daily to keep your curves in check. Remind me not to get one of those models.
Tanita BF-578 Body Fat Scale: $100; www.tanita.com.
