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In developed countries, an abundant, unbalanced diet leads to excess fat or excess weight.
On the other hand, modern life conditions like stress or the effects of fashion sometimes cause food behavior problems and abnormal weight loss.
Prevention remains the best way of avoiding medical complications linked to obesity and nutrition illnesses.
Controlling physical fitness and managing the quality of life involves regularly monitoring your weight, your fat mass and your muscular mass.
This notion, although widespread, is misleading: there is no ideal weight.
Weight, depending on recent diet or hydration, can vary by several kilos in a few days. Complex regulation mechanisms intervene and a variation of 1 to 2 kg over a short duration is not significant.
It is more suitable to define a "weight normality zone".
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers a standardized method to define this normality zone: the Body Mass Index (BMI), calculated simply as the relationship of an individual's weight with the square of his/her height. The normality zone is the range of BMI values for which the risk of nutrition-linked illness are minimal.
This index is simply defined as the weight of an individual divided by the square of his/her height, and is expressed in kg/m2.
It is an international standard adopted by the World Health Organization, which allows the risks for health linked to abnormal weight to be evaluated (too low, or excessive).
Reference zones, or normality ranges (thinness, normal index, overweight, obesity) are thus established for each level of risk.
Generally speaking, a BMI between 18 and 25 defines a weight normality zone, in which the risks of nutrition illnesses are minimal.
We must remember that the BMI is only an indicator, and that it doesn't take an individual's morphology into account. For example major athletes have a high BMI due to their muscular mass, without having any health problems.
Calculate your BMIMonitoring weight alone doesn't take into account the evolution of the different compartments of our body, which have different health and aesthetic impacts.
To control a slimming objective (loss of fat), put on weight (take on volume) or simply control your body balance and physical fitness, we can distinguish two components of our body:
- Fat mass
amorphous, non-vascular compartment that corresponds to the triglycerides of the fatty tissue. This mass represents approximately 15% of a man's total body weight and 23% of a woman's. The presence of fat in the body is vital, it ensures temperature regulation and represents an envelope for organs and joints.
- Lean mass
is all of the muscles, bones and organs. It contains vital elements, water and electrolytes (approximately 73%), mineral salts and proteins (27%). Lean mass unites the body's engines, which consume energy.
Diet and physical activity have distinct effects on each of these compartments, and it isn't possible to interpret a weight variation correctly without the precise analysis of each of these compartments.
For example, some women see their weight increase during their premenstrual cycle. This variation is due to an increase in water stored in the lean mass, without there being any fat gain.
Conversely, an intense physical activity can lead to a loss of water by sweating and therefore a 1 to 2 kg loss of weight in a few hours. But there again, no impact on fat. Significant variations of the fat stored will furthermore always take several weeks.
Finally, certain poorly adapted diets can lead to muscular wasting, without loss of fat and therefore not lead to the desired aesthetic effect. A distinct monitoring of the fat mass and the lean mass will help detect such a food imbalance.
Fat is a vital element ensuring the thermal regulation of the body and protecting our organs and joints.
While a certain quantity is therefore necessary to be in good health, excess fat is to be avoided because it leads to health risks, beyond aesthetic consequences. Excess fatty tissue (fat) can lead to cardio-vascular or hypertension diseases.
The initial appreciation of the importance of the fat mass and monitoring its evolution during a diet is therefore interesting. Now an excess of fat isn't always visible and it isn't furthermore always accompanied by excess weight.
During a diet, it is motivating to be able to notice a real loss of fat mass thanks to your efforts.
Lean mass is all of the muscles, bones and organs.
It contains vital elements, water and electrolytes (approximately 73%), and mineral salts and proteins (27%). Lean mass unites the body's engines, which consume energy: it is therefore a good indicator of the potential to become thinner.
For example, a former athlete always loses weight easily (having the ability to use free fatty acids via muscles during exercise). Conversely certain people with a normal weight can have a fat mass of more than 40% of their body weight; weight loss will therefore be difficult without practicing a physical activity.
In fact, physical exercise develops your muscular mass, which increases the speed at which calories are burnt. Increasing your muscular mass will increase your metabolic rate, which helps to reduce our excess body fat and helps you to lose weight healthily.
The knowledge and monitoring of your lean mass are therefore important to correctly interpret a weight variation and improve your behavior.
An unbalanced diet can lead to muscular atrophy, which negatively impacts overall health.
The daily rest energy expenditure, also known as the basal metabolic rate, can be estimated from the lean mass. You'll want to adjust your diet so that the number of calories consumed is in line with this number, which may decrease when consuming fewer calories but increases when you are more physically active.
While complex methods already existed in laboratories, the foundations of a body analysis method exploiting the body's electrical properties were laid down by Dr. A.L Thomasset in the 1970's. Known under the name of "bioelectric impedance measurement" this technique was adapted to be integrated into the scale.
Its working relies on injecting a very low intensity current (absolutely safe and painless) into the feet, and the simultaneous measurement of electrical resistance met by this current.
As the fatty tissue is not a conductor, the resistance is in proportion to the quantity of the body's lean mass. Several equations are used to deduct the lean mass, then you calculate the quantity of body fat by subtracting the lean mass from the weight.
Important note: the use of the impedance measurement appliance is forbidden to wearers of electronic implants such as pacemakers.
The normal body composition fulfils the following objectives:
- To have and maintain a weight within the limits minimizing health risks
(corresponding to a BMI between 18 and 25),
- Have a muscular mass adapted to its lifestyle,
- Have a sufficient fatty mass to ensure its vital role in the body,
but without excess,
- Have personal satisfaction regarding aesthetics.
Separately follow the evolutions of the fat mass and the lean mass and compare the values in relation to references established depending on age, height and sex, helps to detect unbalance and understand the reasons for this.
It is essential to refer to a specialist doctor in the event of any doubts.
It is important to always weigh yourself at the same time of the day.
The best moment is about 30 minutes after waking up in the morning, to avoid weight variations during the day due to diet, digestion and physical activity.
Ideally weigh yourself once to twice a week under the same conditions.
Long-term monitoring is more important than daily variations.
Weight can vary during the day by approximately 2 kg among adults (1kg among children).
To monitor your weight accurately, here are a few tips to follow:
- Situate the scale on a stable floor and leave it in the same place.
- Ideally weigh yourself in the morning on waking, without clothes.
- Do not weigh yourself immediately after eating or drinking
Water in the body is distributed between intra-cellular water and extra-cellular water. Conditions like pregnancy or edema, hydration of the body can strongly vary. Monitoring the hydration rate is essential with a medical accompaniment, which we recommend in the event of any doubts.
This is why we have chosen not to directly display the hydration rate in the Withings WiFi body scale for the general public
During a poorly controlled diet, an endless chain of weight loss/weight gain expresses the yoyo effect.
To understand it, you need to know that when you eat, part of the food is immediately transformed into available energy by the body, part is eliminated and finally a part is stored in the form of fat.
During a poorly adapted diet (if you miss meals) the body will react at the least excess by storing food in the form of fat, a greater proportion of fat. This is the yoyo effect that the Withings scale, by giving you the fat mass, will help you to detect quickly and better avoid.
It is highly recommended you refer to a specialist doctor before going on a diet, as each situation is unique.
The Withings WiFi Body Scale lets you easily monitor your weight, fat mass and lean mass graphs as well as your BMI over the long term to stay balanced permanently.
The WiFi body scale recognises up to 8 users. It is therefore possible to monitor the whole family's fitness level. You can monitor your children's changes directly on your interface in order to keep an eye on their health long term.