Does callus feet affect body fat reading?

[Lkool]

My feet tend to be pretty callus. Does this cause issues with the Aria's ability to read body fat?

[SunsetRunner]

There's a small harmless electric current send through the skin of the feet to be able to determine body fat. If the callus is thick enough, it can influence the body fat reading.

[Lkool]

In which way would it influence the reading? Would it cause the Aria to report a higher percentage or lower percentage than the actual?

[AngelaMa]

Hello @Lkool welcome to the Fitbit Community! As @SunsetRunner mentioned the Aria scale needs a smooth surface to get the accurate information you are looking for,  since it sends a harmless electric current to get your information, if there is something interfering with the signal the reading might variate. 

Hope this helps! 🙂 

[Lkool]

Totally didn't help. I am pretty sure you didn't read the question or my response to Mystique.

[MarreFitbit]

I'm glad to see you around my friend @Lkool, hope you're doing good ! 

Body fat scale readings can be thrown off by the following factors. In addition,the results may not be accurate for kids under the age of 16, or people with an elevated body temperature, diabetes or other health condition.

Hydration. If you’re dehydrated or sweat a lot from exercise or your climate, you will have less body water for the electric current to flow through. The result: your body fat reading may be higher than it really is.  And the opposite is also true. If you drink too much fluid, have a full bladder, or if you are a women experiencing water retention from your menstrual cycle, your body fat reading may be lower than it really is. For best results: be aware of  what affects your fluid retention; weigh yourself once a week, on the same day and at the same time of day; wear the same clothes or none at all.

Movement. The electric sensors in these scales are sensitive and work best when weighing stationary objects. Wiggling around or quickly hoping on the scale can interfere with your reading. For best results: always stand on the same area of the scale platform and stand still.

Foot calluses. Some studies have found that having thick calluses on your feet may prevent the electric current from flowing accurately. For best results: shave those calluses.

Muscle. Heavy-duty weight training builds muscle which weighs more then fat. This can result in a higher body weight measurement which can throw off the arithmetic in the body fat and BMI formulas. For best results: if you do a lot of resistance weight training, these scales may not be your best option.

Have a nice day!

[Kate_McN]

I think it makes the body fat reading higher if you have thick skin on your feet, for example my body fat reading dropped by 3% overnight after having a pedicure 😃

[ManicDaisy]

I scrubbed my heel with one of those cheese-grater-style foot scrubbers yesterday, and my body fat percentage dropped **5 percent.**

when I got my scale and it told me by body fat, I was a bit surprised, because I’m very fit. And it told me I had the body fat percentage you would expect for your average woman my size.

Turns outm this it likely because the scale was calculating based on what was expected for my size. NOT because the electric current worked.

So basically, yes. Calloused feet make a HUGE difference. You wont get a correct reading unless you scrub down your feet. If your callouses are big, I suggest soaking feet and starting with one of those callous scrapers that uses a razor blade. 🙂