Greetings!

Yesterday I purchased a Taylor Handheld Body Fat Analyzer which measures your body fat % in just a few seconds. You have to program in your weight, height, age, and sex, then you press your thumbs on two contact plates. The device uses BIA technology (bioelectrical impedance analysis) to send a signal through your body to determine fat percentage. It was only $15 at Target ... Anyone ever heard of this, know if it's accurate?

Thanks!

I've heard of it...

Considering how faulty my Tanita BF scale is at reading the correct amount of bodyfat - I wouldn't hold out much hope for this one...

Maybe I can get Mel and/or Meg to comment - they can give more educated responses (since they measure bodyfat all the time!).

I think they used that thing on me when I signed up at Curves. I still can't grasp how it measured my body fat pecentage by me just holding it. Ahhh, technology! Anyway, mine was 30%, eek! I hope it decreases by my next measurement session 11/18/05.

Anyway, to answer your question.... if Curves uses it, it MUST be accurate!!! :-)

~jess~

I would hope that your Curves has a better bodyfat analyzer than one that sells for $15.00.

Judging from the reviews at Amazon, I wouldn't rush out and purchase it, myself.

Meanwhile, here's an interesting article on bodyfat testing from the Dummies site for your review...note what they say about bioelectrical impedence:

I think there can be a lot of variations in quality within the same brand, depending on style, etc. I know that the various models of Tanita body fat scales vary widely. Some are supposed to be great, while others get consistently bad reviews.

Consumer Reports reported on the body fat scales last year, though I don't think they've reported on the hand held models. They rated Taylor better than Tanita for body fat analysis, and poor on weight, and rated Tanita more accurate on weight. This was just for specific models of the body fat / weight scale.

None ranked well, though, and even the top rated Taylor was just in the "good" category, as none reached the Very Good or Excellent ranking that defines a better product.

I don't think Curves is supposed to use the same Taylor body fat analyzers that can be purchased at Amazon or Target. Perhaps the owner was trying to save some money on equipment. The Curves owners/employees have limited training (literally anyone can open a curves) and may not have known the difference. Curves claims to use professional quality equipment made by futrex.

Fitness centers and doctors offices usually use a completely different grade of machine for this purpose that is very expensive, very accurate, and not generally availble to the public. Even Tanita makes another line of machines for the industry than what we can buy.

Thank you, Mrs. Jim and Suzanne, for the useful information. Truthfully, it was an impulse buy and I was skeptical so I kept the packaging and receipt. And I do hope it is WRONG regarding my %! Jess, you may want to print out that article and show it to your Curves.

I have a little Taylor handheld. It just seems to go up or down depending on my weight. I don't think it's accurate. It's just for fun and something else to log into my Fitday PC.

Several years ago I did Curves briefly and they had a similiar device, a little bigger. I didn't think it was accurate either.

But for me, mine is just a toy that I enjoy playing with. If it goes down, I have something positive to report in my software ... I don't take it seriously but I like having it.

I got the one your talking to also, and it DOESNT WORK...mine keeps telling me I am 5%, well I KNOW I am NOT 5% BF....

Curves uses the OMRON body fat monitors. I know this cus I was a Curves member for a short while and I owned the professional version of the one they had.
Anyway I think mine worked fairly well, but I sold it on ebay when I got my Tanita BC533 which I love.

I should add my OMRON was about $100 some years ago..they can be found quite a bit less expensively now.