• RiQuY@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    Are you saying that digital scales used to measure the weight of a person are inaccurate or am I mixing topics? This is new to me. Why measuring weight should be hard/inaccurate?

    And why analogic scales (if they can be called like that) are better?

    • Carnelian@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      The other response is correct. Many “smart” scales claim to be able to tell you not only your weight, but also what percentage of your weight is lean mass vs body fat.

      They are not accurate in that respect and should never be used

      Normal scales that just tell you your weight, whether digital or analogue, are generally correct and reliable

      • Rob Bos@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        They’re not accurate but I think they can at least track trends consistently. A clock that’s five hours ahead still tells you how much time has passed relative to itself. Similarly a scale might tell you what direction your fat level is trending.

        • Carnelian@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I think they can at least track trends consistently

          I’m sorry to say, but they can’t. It would be one thing if, for you as an individual, the error was always consistent (e.g., “always five hours ahead”). Then at least you would be able to track trends over time. Sadly, the technology itself is not reliable in that way and should never be relied on to track trends.

          • Rob Bos@lemmy.ca
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            1 day ago

            Perhaps not. My subjective experience of my Withings scale is that the reported fat percentage has at least remained where I’ve expected given my general activity level. ie, fat percentage goes up when I’m sedentary, down when I’m active.

            But it’s more a curiosity than a useful metric regardless.

            • Carnelian@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              I strongly encourage you to disregard the bf% information that scale provides you, even if it is only a passing curiosity. It can and will taint your general understanding of the body and your relationship with fitness. I would recommend even disabling it entirely if possible, and would even recommend replacing it with a non-“smart” scale if the option is at all economical for you. I’m happy to explore the subject further and suggest alternatives if you so desire

              • Rob Bos@lemmy.ca
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                1 day ago

                Honestly I don’t care enough. If I happen to be in the interface I’ll probably turn it off, sure. It doesn’t inform any decisions, I barely register that the number exists.

                • Carnelian@lemmy.world
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                  1 day ago

                  It doesn’t inform any decisions

                  Excellent, I encourage you to never deviate from this path