CW: This post discusses weight, body fat measurements, etc.
As a general rule, I don’t get on the scale very often. I haven’t thrown it out and I can’t say I never get on it, but I consciously try not to go on too often and put too much stock in it. Last time I was at the doctor for my physical, when asked to get on the scale so that the nurse could measure my BMI, I explained why I didn’t think it was necessary. I don’t believe it provides a good picture of the condition of my health and there’s good scientific information widely available, to back me up. The problems with BMI have been written about many times in this blog. So many times, that I can’t link to all of them. I do like the simple advice, derived from an article in the Seattle Times that Sam points to in this post:
“Regardless of weight the people with these four healthy habits had the lowest risk of early death.”
Take away: If it’s health that’s your goal work on these habits not your weight.
The four? Eat your vegetables. Don’t smoke. Drink in moderation only. And exercise.”
So with that in mind, my husband purchased a new scale the other day. His sugar is slightly high and he’s exercising more, eating more vegetables, etc. and interested in these things right now. This scale measures body fat – RENPHO Bluetooth Body Fat Scale BMI Scale Smart Digital Bathroom Wireless Weight Scale. I was curious. Here is some information about the accuracy of these types of scales: https://www.healthline.com/health/body-fat-scale-accuracy.
To use the scale to its full effect, you have to download Renpho’s app on your phone. Then when you step on the scale it measures your weight, BMI, Body Fat, Muscle Mass, and a whole bunch of other fat and muscle measurements. And, it tells you your Metabolic Age.
The first time my husband received his stats, he read them off to me. I did mine and said I would read everything to him except the weight. I still have an ingrained habit of keeping my weight a secret. I mean, I don’t want to have a lengthy discussion in person about my weight. There’s a difference in my mind having a discussion here and sharing information, and having a verbal conversation about it afterwards. I feel that way about a lot of my blog posts. But there was something in my “stats” that bugged me just a little. And instead of only sharing that part. I’m going to share it all. Because, I truly believe they are just stats. They are not indicators of good or bad or my worth in any way. In short, they are a not a big friggen deal! So the pics of these stats are below.
Yeah, I am well aware of what my weight and height mean in terms of BMI (not taking into account my athleticism, bone structure, etc.). I enjoyed all the green stats (whether I should or not) and then I saw the Metabolic Age number. 50. But, I’m 48, I exclaimed to Gavin!
Not that it matters, but when setting up the app, you enter your birth date. Like any good “savvy” person, I didn’t put my EXACT date. It’s off by 6 months. So the app already thinks I’m 6 months older than I am, but STILL. The app thinks my Metabolic Age is OLDER than I am?? I’m supposed to be good at this type of thing, I thought, quite irrationally and non-sensically.
Despite all the green and dark green, the orange in my weight/BMI make my Metabolic Age higher than my actual age. Should I care? Well, according to this article, “currently, there aren’t many peer-reviewed studies of metabolic age. It’s not a data point in research. Metabolic age isn’t something we talk about in the medical community. It does give insight into how you compare to others your age. The marker of the ultimate definition of health it is not.” Also, “Metabolic age is more of a fitness term than a medical one. It’s a way to compare your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to other people your age.”
I’m going to keep this post short, because that’s how much time I want to spend thinking about this matter. It’s interesting, but it’s not all that important. It’s one tiny nugget of information amongst many other bits of information.
Bottom line – I’m not going to focus on how these stats make me feel, good or bad. And now, I’m off to do my virtual workout and will let those stats flow through my brain like a butterfly that enters and then keeps flying away.
Have you used one of these scales? Thoughts?
