How does the Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scale measure my body fat?
Tanita uses a state of the art method of body composition assessment called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Body impedance is measured when a safe, low electrical signal (about 50kHz, 500 Ma) is passed through the body, carried by water and fluids. Fat tissue does not contain much water and creates resistance or impedance to the signal. (Fat is approximately 10-15% hydrated, wheras muscle is normally between 50-70%.) This impedance information is then used to estimate the amount of lean and fat tissue within the body. Through a process called multiple regression analysis, Tanita has developed highly researched proprietary formulas that are based on impedance, height, weight, gender, body type (normal adult or athletic build), and in some cases, age. Tanita’s reference method is Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), which many experts now believe is better than Hydrostatic Weighing because of its accuracy and reliability. All analytical methods use equations derived from large, mult
