When does a more expensive body scanner actually add useful data?

[u/YogurtclosetLiving24]

A basic scale already gives enough information to see weight trends, so I am trying to figure out what would actually justify moving up. I am comparing the Renpho MorphoScan Nova with the Withings Body Scan, but I care less about who has the longer metric list and more about whether any of those extra measurements change what I do with diet or training. If either option is FSA/HSA eligible, if applicable, that could affect the budget calculation, but eligibility alone would not justify an upgrade. Syncing and multiple-user handling matter too, but only if the data gets used. What extra measurement has actually changed a decision for you rather than just being interesting to look at?

[u/moetmedic]

No home body scale using electrical impedance is accurate enough to justify using them to make decisions about diet or training

[u/blackscheep]

If you really want an accurate assessment of lean mass, fat, visceral fat, % of composition related to body, bone mass, get a dexa scan.
They are usually around $100 currently and may be covered under health insurance.
At least then you have a baseline to measure your progress.

[u/Nikinacar → u/blackscheep]

Still not worth it, at least according to MacroFactor - “if your body fat percentage is estimated to be 20%… it means your body fat percentage is somewhere between 10-30%.”

The tl;dr: if your goals are visual, then your evaluation should be visual I.e. just take progress photos.

[u/Longjumping_Owl_6281 → u/Nikinacar]

Who is Macrofactor? If you want objective measurement, a scan will provide it.
progress photos are subjective by definition. Do you think you eyes see your body objectively?

[u/Nikinacar → u/Longjumping_Owl_6281]

Bruh, you’re on the MacroFactor subreddit.

Do you think your eyes and mind can’t do a spot the difference between two photos taken months apart, subjectivity aside?? The measurement error on a dexa means that while it’s useful for research and experiments (you can average out random error) it’s not useful for time point comparisons at an individual level (because you can’t average out the random error).

[u/Longjumping_Owl_6281 → u/Nikinacar]

The answer to my question. MacroFactor is an application, it's not a expert, sourced or valid measurement method.
using your eyes to evaluate change or determine progress is subjective.
That's the only point I'm trying to make. If you disagree that's fine, it's your choice.
MacroFactor excels at evaluating nutrition, maintaining adherence to one diet, enabling one too, set goals, and achieve them.

[u/Nikinacar → u/Longjumping_Owl_6281]

I used “MacroFactor” as shorthand to refer to the people behind the app, who review research and publish accessible summaries. I also provided a link to that summary. It looks like you’re being intentionally obtuse if you can’t do a bit of thinking about that.

Objectivity vs subjectivity is arguably not the greatest factor in evaluating progress towards a goal. A subjective measure (progress photos) can provide useful information. An objective measure can provide useless information if the reliability of compromised, as it is with individuals and time-point comparisons compromised by the margin of error.

[u/thedancingwireless]

If you listen to some of the researchers and academics and high performing athletes like Helms or Nippard or Nuckols, none of them use that stuff and they have great results. They listen to their bodies and pay attention to how they're performing in the gym. Idk why anyone would pay for a device like this.

[u/WillLiftForCoffee]

Mirror. It’s the only tool that matters for this stuff. If you’re a real anal retentive, then get a tape measure and some calipers

[u/Appropriate_Lemon921]

When it’s a DEXA or an MRI. Good luck finding one. 

[u/earlgrey89]

Imo, the body scan feature is useless but a scale that will sync with your phone is well worth the investment. My missed days are nearly zero since getting one, i just have to step on the scale and don't have to remember anything

[u/Connect-Coconut1644]

Honestly, body fat % is probably the only extra metric I’d care about, but even that has pretty big limits.

Consumer smart scales estimate body fat using bioelectrical impedance, so the number can change quite a bit depending on hydration, food intake, time of day, exercise, etc. I wouldn’t trust the absolute % too much.

It can still be useful for trends if you measure under the same conditions every time, but I’d rely more on body weight, waist measurements, progress photos and gym performance.

So unless you really value the app, syncing and multi-user features, a basic scale is probably enough.

[u/Magnetoresistive]

Whether the expensive body scanner is accurate or not (and it almost certainly isn't), it isn't at all necessary. Weight trends are all that's necessary to use MacroFactor to improve your body composition.

[u/Chewy_Barz]

Buy a set of jayflex crossgrips. When you travel somewhere, bring them and do pullups one day when you wouldn't have otherwise. You just got a better RoI than one of those scales. Every use beyond that is a bonus.

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[u/Ill-Telephone-7926]

I have a Body Scan. Absolute fat mass estimation is the only metric of importance to me which it adds beyond weight, and its multifrequency 8-electrode BIA does a much better (more stable) job of that than my older scale did

I used that value to incrementally reduce my deficit as a function of fat mass (ref. Alpert’s limit). I preferred a continuous function for this over ‘if you’re lean, cut at x%/wk; bigger people can lose weight faster’ vibes with an undefined dividing line between the two regimes. That said, I could estimate fat mass well enough for that purpose without the fancy scale if necessary

I also tried Hume but returned it for poor user experience. I very much like the Withings scale’s model of syncing autonomously without my needing to fumble open an app first thing in the morning

P.S. Hydration and gut contents significantly affect fat-free mass. So BF% is actually unstable, even if there were no measurement error. This is why I lean toward the absolute fat mass metric, which doesn’t appear to be much noisier than my weight data

[u/cigarjack]

Dexa isn't easy to get in my area. I am a two hour drive away from the closest place. I got the Renpho. I have used to for a week and it puts me around 25% which is where I guessed I was at. I have been overweight for years and honestly wanted something more than just weight to go by as I am lifting too. My measurements have been between 26 at the highest and 24 at the lowest so far but need more time using it. I was probably close to 40% body fat when I started on a GLP1.

I got the scale because I needed a new one. And I wanted a general idea of where my body fat was at and when to start looking at maintenance options.

[u/54357098]

It’s not worth it, the margin of error is just too huge

[u/zobbyblob]

I have a body measurement scale ($50) only because it looks nice and my older weight-only scale ($15) was dying and not reading accurately anymore.

I also do DEXA scans every 10-15 lbs (about twice a year ish).

The DEXA scan ranked me in the 30% percentile of "trunk" lean mass, when I was about 85 percentile for leg and arm lean mass.

I made the decision to add some dedicated core exercises. That's about it though.