How To Best Use Your Monitor

All Tanita monitors measure body composition using BIA - Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Understanding how your Tanita monitor works and how to track your recordings will help in recording consistent results.

BIA measures body composition by sending a low, safe signal through the body. The signal passes freely through fluids in muscle tissue but meets resistance through fat tissue. This resistance, called bioelectrical impedance, is accurately measured and the results are set against gender, height and weight.

Dual frequency (advanced BIA technology) found in all Tanita Body Composition Monitors further increases the accuracy of your readings.

FACT - BIA versus BMI

You may have heard of BMI or Body Mass Index. It's the most widely known method of determining if someone is the correct weight for their height.

BMI involves a simple calculation - a person's weight in kg is divided by their height in m². The method is simple and inexpensive. However, it does not distinguish between lean body mass and fat mass, and only has a modest correlation with actual body fat levels.

The BMI calculation does not take different body types into account. For instance, a 6ft tall professional rugby player who weighs 17st 7lb would be classified as obese, even though a high proportion of his weight would be made up of healthy muscle tissue.

In comparison to a man of similar height and weight who takes no exercise, it's pretty safe to assume the rugby player would be healthier and fitter. BMI would classify both as obese, with an increasing risk of developing serious medical problems.

BMI is still used as a valuable tool by medical professionals, but as you can see, it has its limitations. That's why BIA is rapidly gaining the support of both medical and fitness experts.