Bone mass on scale
 

I just got one of those fancy scales that measures your bone mass. I as annoyed to discover that my bone mass came up as 3%. Or 6.0 lbs. When I looked at the directions on the scale the lowest it said to have was 4%.

Later I looked it up and on line it is said that people over 160 lbs typically have 6.5 lbs of bone weight.

All of this makes me wonder if I have a bone problem. But before I call up my doctor and want a bone scan does anyone else have similar results? Or find the bone mass on the scale wrong?

AnnRue, I have a scale that tracks those things, or at least it used to. I bought it back in 2013. FWIW....I recall reading somewhere that bone mass on a home scale is notoriously inaccurate. I don't remember why, except they said to just keep track of your own patterns, that the technology does not lend itself to standardized values.

If it's any help, I was 59-61 when I paid attention to it. It was about 5, later on it was in the 4s. My weight was 140-165, 5'4". I have big, heavy bones. I think the reading has to do with your overall body composition %, so it will fluctuate with your hydration, fat %, etc. even if your actual bone mass has not changed--just the limit of the technology.

5 years later, maybe they have a better way to measure this. If not, I think the most accurate is bone densitometry, that you doctor can get for you, & I see it offered monthly at some drugstores too, for a fee.

Look forward to hearing what else you find out!

Thanks. I have always had little bone and known it... my sister actually has shark teeth (that is two layers of teeth) and I joke with her all the time she got all the bone.

So I think I am going to ask my doctor about it. I can also pay for a bone scan at a private facility if my doctor won't authorize it.