Aria body fat percentage questions

[CarrieV]

Hi, I have a question on whether it is really possible I'm made up of 33% body fat (according to the aria scale).  Here are my stats:

51 year old woman

5' 6"

132 lbs.

currently wearing a size 6

33% body fat according to the charts means I'm obese.  I don't feel obese.  I know I need to lose 8 more lbs. to be at my ideal weight that I feel best at, but this 33% body fat has been pretty consistent the whole time I've been dieting.  Even after I lose 8 more lbs., I do not think it will be much less than 33% body fat on the aria scale.  I'm definitely not lean, so I know selecting the "lean" category in the settings would not apply to me.

I'm fine with just ignoring this and feeling good about the lbs. I've already lost, but every morning it's still a little depressing to weigh yourself and think how is it possible that 33% of my body is pure fat.

I weigh myself bare foot, dry feet every morning before I shower.  I do not move the scale.  It is sitting on the floor in my bedroom, same spot as always.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Mouse357]

Same here, 5’ 4” and 143 pounds, says i’m 35.9%. I’ve been doing a new weight lifting routine for over a month. I’ve lost almost two inches off my waist, only lost 4 pounds because I am building muscle and the scale still says 35.9%. This can’t be right.

[johneric8]

It sounds very accurate to me quite honestly..    We tend to think we're leaner than we are.. My wife is 5'6 140 pounds weighing less than you,  and very fit and she sits at about 35% body fat..  If you're a female and have extra fat around your body you are most likely over 30% that is just the truth of the matter..  Women carry way more fat then men..    What you have is healthy I wouldn't worry..

[jboyle1115]

It's not accurate!! I'm a Personal Trainer and RN and have paid for scans
numerous places. The Aria is at least 5% off consistently. Do not use it
for a body fat gauge. Pay for an INBody scan approximately $20, 98%
accurate. However, As I've recently started doing more of these there are
quite a few more Skinny Fat folks out there than I thought.



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[TrimTrish]

My children have been professionally measured.?they are 21 and 23 % body fat yet the got bit measures them both at 35% ?? Not a good product.

Both my children were measured at the doctors and they were 21 and 23 % body fat yet the Fitbit measures them both at 35% ridiculous it’s a useless product!

It also measures my children who are in their early 20% ... professionally measured at 35%. The product is not accurate. Way off

Sent from my iPhone

Moderator edit: merged reply

[TrimTrish]

It also measures my children who are in their early 20% ... professionally measured at 35%. The product is not accurate. Way off

Sent from my iPhone

[johneric8]

It's really odd I guess it depends on who uses it or the scale.. My wife and I are both NASM certified trainers and she runs her own camp gladiatior camp and for some strange reasons our aria measures us both similar to dunk and calliper methods.. Oh well..       So by your estimations since I'm 6% body fat according to aria I'm either 0% or 12%?  Okay...    I know it's not perfect but it's not as far off as some people tend to think.. The common occurrence I see on this forum is how everyone thinks there body fat is less than what the aria tells them which seems odd..  Once again,  my personal opinion is that people don't want the truth for the most part..

[jdc115]

johneric8,

It would be fine for me if the scale was just 5 or 10% off and consistent. I think for many the scale works but there are many in the thread that have a similar issue. Depending on when I moved and had to rejoin my scale to a new wifi, it jumps all over the place. Either I am 18%, 34% or 24% body fat on the same scale, the only change has been me moving the scale and connecting to a new wifi. 

I am willing to accept the truth, I just don't know which one to believe. 

[JuanJoFitbit]

Hi everyone! I really appreciate your feedback and comments about the accuracy of the body fat percentage on the Aria scale. I'd like you guys to check out this help article, under the subject "How can I get the most accurate reading on my Fitbit Scale?" If you see that your Aria scales are being inaccurate, please get in touch with our Support team.

@johneric8 Thanks a lot for your help and contribution in this thread.

I'll be around if more assistance is needed my friends! 

[LottieD]

Done that. Nothing works (I’ve tried everything over 2 years) other than ignoring BF measurement which is clearly totally inaccurate in so many cases. A shame they can’t just fix it for us.

[JuanJoFitbit]

@LottieD Thanks for joining us in our Fitbit Community! I want to follow up and would like to know what troubleshooting steps have you tried  before getting in touch with our Support team. This information will help me to determine the cause of the issue.

See you later my friend! 

[kyash9916]

I tried some people had posted on here and then contacted support and tried the different things they told me to do also. 


Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

[LottieD]

Had Aria a long time and asked for help when first got it as this was clearly an error. Batteries in/out/ reset many times. Consistently incorrect and your colleagues couldn’t offer any other solution. It clearly is an issue for so many women to find the percentage so high when the BMI is good and fats measurements in gyms give totally different figures. It was be nice to have a more realistic figure.

Thanks for asking and following up.


Sent from my iPhone

[LoriBee]

Perfectly stated!
I've done everything suggested and finally just put it back in the box in a closet. I keep hoping Fitbit will come up with a fix, obviously they know it's a problem.

Sent from my Verizon Motorola Droid

[Susan56horse]

I'm getting an reading of 28% body fat which I would imagine is about right
My old hand held says
44% bf 45% water & 54 % muscle that doesn't add up lol

Get Outlook for Android

[LoriBee]

I agree.  They know it's a problem, they should be working on fixing it for their customers.

Sent from my Verizon Motorola Droid

[JuanJoFitbit]

@kyash9916 Thanks for getting back! I was able to get in touch with our Support team in regards to your case and was told that they'll contact you via email in order to follow up and provide a solution. Please keep an eye on your email account.

@LottieD @LoriBee Thank you both for taking the time to try the recommended workarounds. Since the issue persists after following the troubleshooting steps, I'll send your case to our Support team so they can find a solution for you guys. You should receive an email from them soon.

@Susan56horse I would like to follow up and would like to know if your Aria is showing your body fat accurately now or does the issue persist?

See you all later! 

[obeseone]

My aria has never worked and the weight can vary from one minute to another. Just an expensive scales now!


Sent from my iPad

[dali137]

So in contacting support, the best case is they send a new scale?... and I am assuming the new scales have a solution this issue? 

I have always thought the % was correct until the few months when I have measured elsewhere and learned more about the %... there is no way you can swap 10lbs of fat for 10lbs of muscle and stay at a 30% fat with a normal bmi. Luckily I didn't give much stock to the % before as I wasn't knowledgeable enough, but I wonder how many people gave up on their fitness journeys after no progress on their scale?

[jdc115]

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@dali137 wrote:

So in contacting support, the best case is they send a new scale?... and I am assuming the new scales have a solution this issue? 

I have always thought the % was correct until the few months when I have measured elsewhere and learned more about the %... there is no way you can swap 10lbs of fat for 10lbs of muscle and stay at a 30% fat with a normal bmi. Luckily I didn't give much stock to the % before as I wasn't knowledgeable enough, but I wonder how many people gave up on their fitness journeys after no progress on their scale?

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The issue with my scale didn't really change my fitness journey. I am assuming at least that it is accurately reflecting any changes regardless how far off the measurements is.  

But I have to wonder what the future of Fitbit is given I can not find scales that do similar measurements for around $40 Singapore dollars (around US$30) and wristbands even cheaper.  I just moved so will try to Fitbit scale again to see what reading it is giving me this time. It has jumped around a lot everytime I have moved. But if it still seems to malfunction, I will probably try a different brand scale given the price differences now

[LoriBee]

Still a problem. I retry occasionally but it's not consistent and never accurate.