The Skinny on Having a Body Fat Scale

!9# The Skinny on Having a Body Fat Scale

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In this day and age, a lot of folks are worried about their weight. We all want to be thinner than our friends, and look like the celebrities we all see on television. However, weight is not the real issue because body fat is the real culprit. A high body fat rating increases the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, a body that has very low body fat also puts a lot of strain on the human heart. Millions of obese Americans and the many hundreds of thousands of underweight ones can all benefit from a body fat scale. This device can improve people's health and perhaps save a lot of life.

An old-fashioned set of calipers can do an effective job but a lot of people still go for an electric body fat scale. You can do some simple measurements that can accurately measure your body fat. A healthy person usually has a body fat at that is around 5% of that person's mass. Having a body fat that is below 3% can be unhealthy but a lot of athletes carry lower percentages. A rating that is lower than 3 percent on the body fat scale can be dangerous to a person's health.

People usually get a rating that is higher than what they want when they use body fat percentage scales for the first time. This experience can sometimes cause the wrong reaction. Many folks can over react when they see their body fat scale measurement because they are in denial that they are overweight. They will immediately believe that they have to lose all the weight as soon as possible. As a result, many of them will take extreme measures towards dieting. They may also attempt to completely starve themselves to get a lower rating on the body fat scale.

Setting incremental goals may be the best option in losing weight. However, many people find it difficult to set goals for losing weight by using the percentage on the body fat scale. An experienced trainer can be helpful in this task. Another problem that is worth considering is that people often gain muscle mass as they lose fat. This factor makes calculating goals for the body fat scales very difficult. Losing five to ten pounds each month until you reach your desired body fat level may be a more effective weight loss strategy.