What You Should Know When Using This Unit

Principle of body composition calculation

Body fat has low electric conductivity

The BF500 estimates the body fat percentage by the Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) method. Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues with a high water content that conducts electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The BF500 sends an extremely weak electrical current of 50 kHz and less than 500 µA through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. This weak electrical current is not felt while operating the BF500.

In order for the scale to determine body composition, it uses the electrical impedance, along with your height, weight, age and gender information to generate results based on OMRON’s data of body composition.

Measures the whole body to avoid the influence of fluctuations

During the course of a day, the amount of water in the body tends to gradually shift to the lower limbs. This is why there is a tendency for the legs and ankles to swell in the evening or at night. The ratio of water in the upper body and lower body is different in the morning and evening, and this means that the electrical impedance of the body also varies. Since the BF500 uses electrodes for both hands and feet to take measurements, it can reduce the influence of these fluctuations on measurement results.

What is the Bioelectrical Impedance method?

Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues having a high water content that conduct electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The BF500 sends an extremely weak electrical current of 50 kHz and less than 500 µA through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. This weak electrical current is not felt while operating the BF500. The Bioelectrical Impedance Method safely combines the electric resistance with the distance of the electricity conducted. Correct posture and consistent measuring conditions need to be maintained for the best results.

Uses the best methods to measure different aspects of body composition

OMRON has conducted research using exhalation and MRI analysis to develop an algorithm by which the bio impedance method of the BF500 works.

Body Fat Percentage: This is based on the DXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) method, which has been the established method for accurate evaluation of body composition. OMRON has used research information from several hundred people using the DXA method to develop the formula by which the BF500 works. The body fat mass and body fat percentage is calculated by a formula that includes five factors: electric resistance, height, weight, age and gender.

The DXA method uses two different frequency X-Rays and rates of absorption of the body and determines the value based on the difference between the two.

Resting Metabolism: This is based on exhalation analysis, where the composition of exhaled air is analysed. This makes it possible to calculate the resting metabolism by measuring the consumption of oxygen in exhaled air.

Visceral Fat Level: This is based on MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) analysis, which uses nuclear magnetic resonance that take non-intrusive images of the body. This makes it possible to calculate the area of visceral fat in the body.