These days you can easily compare your weight and body fat with those of average by smartphone applications or products for diet. Some of bath scales have been evolved so that they can display not only weight but also average body fat by data entry like height or gender recently.

Although the word body fat has been known than before, average body fat is actually unreliable. Don’t you know that? I will introduce the reasons.

9 reasons Why Average Fat is Unreliable 

No.1 what kinds of body fat scale do you have?

What types of fat scale do you have? There are several types of body fat scales like just getting on the scale or holding it with hands. However, you could get quite different result depending on the types of body fat scale because the scales of getting on measure mainly the lower body’s fat and the holding types measure mainly the upper body’s fat.

In other words, if you used different type of scale from the scale used to calculated average body fat, it would be unreasonable average.

No.2. Do not expect accuracy

As I mentioned in the article, body fat scale have several types. In fact, there were gaps by about 10% when someone tried both types of scales in a row.

It is no use figuring out the average of them because how every people gets fat differently. So home body fat scale is just indication. You can take it lightly by knowing the fact.

No.3. Average body fat is just presumption

You have ever entered your height, gender, age on a home body fat scale, haven’t you? The information is not necessary for body fat measurement. Why is the information entry necessary for home body fat scales? Although home body fat scales apply weak electrical current to human’s body and measure the body fat amount, it is difficult to measure the body fat accurately.

So they add the information for body fat percentage correction. If you change the entry of gender or age, the scale would correct the body fat percentage based on the data. So body fat percentages home body fat scales display are just presumption.

No.4. Rise and fall of body fat percentage on the display

Some people measure their body fat routinely. However, you could weigh your weight differently in the morning and evening. In the same way, the body fat scale display different body fat percentage depending on the timing. Even before and after going to rest room affects the scale.

You should understand the rise and fall of the scale. You should not be too sensitive to the figures because it could exhaust you.

No.5. the amount of water in the body affects the result

In the late evening, having swelling of the legs, the getting on type scales tend to display lower body fat percentages. This is because when the legs containing much water, electric current passes easily through the lower body and it leads to lower body fat percentages displays.

So perspiration or hang over have impact on the figures. And health condition influences the body fat percentages. But you could use it as way of taking control of your own health care.

NO.6. Unchanged body fat percentage after losing weight

As I mentioned in the article, home body fat scales correct figures based on the statistical data like height, gender or age. That means the accuracy of the results of people having body types so different from the average are dubious.

So it would happen some people with extreme body shapes cannot decrease their body fat percentage despite having lost weight smoothly. You should not get bothered by the figures.

No.7. which manufacturer is the best?

It is said that the body fat scales display body fat percentages differently depending on manufacturers. It cannot be helped because the measurement ways or techniques are different. So you cannot get the same results when use multiple body fat scales. That is not the matter of which manufacture is the best or just figuring out the average.

No.8. what is accurate body fat scale?

Are there any reliable body fat scale? Although they are expensive, body fat scales at sports gym or medical institution are more accurate than home fat scales.

However, it is difficult to measure accurate body fat percentage even with those expensive ones. So don’t get bothered by little change of body fat percentages.

It is no use comparing your body fat percentage with the average body fat of Japanese people. It is better to compare the current one with the past one. You should just use it as an indication on the whole to confirm up and down of your body fat by making chart.

No.9. Average body fat does not mean good

I explained about body fat scales. Lastly I tell you about reasons why you should not count on average body fat percentages. Japanese women tend to care too much about their body shapes, so they tend to be too skinny.

They would think they are fat when they know the average body fat percentage. However, it is wrong. Losing too much fat leads to period stop or makes women harder to get pregnant.

It is no use losing weight without health. You should be careful about your health when you try to lose fat. Losing weight and fat by losing healthy has no meaning.

How was that?

I hope you understand it has no meaning that comparing body fat percentage measured by home body fat scale with average body fat percentage. Of course, you can use a home body fat scale as an indication, and it can help you with going on a diet by comparing the figures. However, the figures are easily affected by the situations so you should be careful about the fact when you go a diet with it.

And you should not swallow the information about the body fat average on the Internet. Body fat average is just an indication, so you should not get bothered by it. Please keep on going on a diet concerning about your health.

Summary

9 reasons Why Average Fat is Unreliable 

No.1 what kind of body fat scale do you have?
No.2. Do not expect accuracy
No.3. Average body fat is just assumption
No.4. Rise and fall of body fat percentage on the display
No.5. the amount of water in the body affects the result
No.6. Unchanged body fat percentage after losing weight
No.7. which manufacturer is the best?
No.8. what is accurate body fat scale?
No.9. Average body fat does not mean good