What You should know before you buy

After 10 years of working with business and offices looking to implement BCA technology, I can share with you what most people prioritize and a little bit of my thoughts.

ACCURACY:

I have tested multiple brands, including the industry leaders and I can tell you that they all fall within 1-2 percent accuracy.  Being this is the case, the most important factors as I see it are mimicking the same positions each month.  This means, doing the BCA on the same day of a female's cycle each month.  Asking the client to drink a consistent amount of water the day prior, each month.  Preferably doing it the same time each month and making sure the client is consistent with their bowel movements.  A variation in any of these could change the results and not provide an accurate record of progress.  Please note that while the information is CORRECT, it is not a good measure when comparing.

EQUATIONS:

Those of us who have our hands in the inner workings of the product have no idea where this came from.  When a brand says "No estimated equations" it means they aren't estimating your height, weight etc...  The nature of the machine is that EVERYTHING beyond basic measurements rely on equations.  The machine only provides impedance values.  To determine fat mass, lean mass, percentages etc.. you have to rely on equations.  Our basic math skills tell us that.

TRAINING: 

The businesses that are most successful use training resources.  Understanding both the mechanics of the machine AND how to explain and make recommendations based on the results are equally important.  Owning a BIA should be a relationship, not a sale.