Fat Percentage Aria 2 v Private Health Assessment

[BarryJG]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know why the fat percentage ratio on the Aria 2 is so different to a medical examination?

I had a full private medical examination and my fat content was 9.6% yet on the scale it's 16%, I am really surprised by the gap.

Any info would be appreciated.

Barry

[Heybales]

Can't answer that question with any knowledge without knowledge of what your examination used?

If the Dr looked at you and poked you with a finger and produced a figure then we need to know a lot about them and their experience.

Under 10% is going to be an easy 4 pack showing, maybe start of a 6 pack.

https://images.app.goo.gl/aQ9iiRafPPhD8yhcA

What do you think you compare to?

Oh, BIA scales like the Aria can be upwards of 5-10% accurate if presented with a correctly hydrated body. Since you would likely not know this, call it 10-15%.

So your 16% is actually more like 9 to 23% potential.

[BarryJG]

The examination was in a private clinic where I stood on a scale and held sensor grips in my hand, where the electric signal was then passed through the feet to the hands and round the body to complete the circuit.

This is a top level private healthcare facility, not a finger in the fat philosophy.

Thanks for the picture, that was interesting..

[Heybales]

So that is a Bio Impedance scale too.

It doesn't go around the whole body - shortest path. Hopefully it uses system of foot-foot, hand-hand, foot-hand same and opposite sides.

Some do that - most don't, just the f-f & h-h.

Hands added can increase the statistical accuracy because better formula's - but the % are about the same depending on if you had properly hydrated body the formula's are based on.

It's not literally measuring bodyfat of course, but the resistance.

Then based on population testing and some other aspect of your body, hopefully not just weight, but also height, gender, some help by asking for neck size, age, ect, that resistance and what it means is basically a lookup.

So you are easily within the margin of error of both methods, and both methods overlap.

Check your Aria for consistency since that is what matters, inaccurate but consistent at least gives you a direction to observe for trend. And that is over months, too much noise for days or weeks to be useful data points.

And valid login day is even more important for BIA scales, to avoid known water weight fluctuations. Because 16 oz of water is 1 lb of Lean Body Mass (LBM), everything that is not Fat Mass (FM).

valid weigh-in - morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

You could log all the weights and BF% each day valid or not and a good trending app can show a line anyway, but frankly logging only valid days makes it even easier for them.

And perhaps you saw those pictures - people with experience are actually better with BF% than BIA scales, and calipers in the hands of inexperienced users.

So an experienced person poking and looking you over could be better accuracy spread than you have now.

[BarryJG]

That was a really excellent and detailed answer, thank you so much for taking the time.

I weigh myself everyday in the morning at the same time, both after rest days and exercise and of course you can see clear trends in weight due to hydration levels.

I have over 400 data points now so I can see clear trend lines and understand what my body does, I just wish the scale was more accurate.

But I was using one before which was even worse, where if stood on it 3 times you often got 3 results. That's in the bin !

Thanks agin