Education Information - Cardinal PD150 Owner's Manual

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE USING YOUR BODY FAT SCALE
Before using the scale, you should know...
1. Why is it important to monitor percentage body fat (%BF)?
The absolute weight traditionally determines whether or not a person is obese. Weight
change in itself does not indicate whether it was the weight of body fat or muscle that had
changed. In weight management, it is desirable that muscle mass be maintained while body
fat is lost. Thus, monitoring the percentage of fat in the body is an important step toward
successful weight management and body health.
The optimal %BF of an individual varies according to age and gender. The tables below may
be used as a guide:
Standard for Men
(Source: University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, USA)
Rating
20-29
Low <13
Optimal 14-20
Moderate 21-23
High > 23
Standard for Women
(Source: University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, USA)
Rating
20-29
Low <19
Optimal 20-28
Moderate 29-31
High > 31
2. How is percentage body fat (%BF) estimated?
The percentage of BF is measured by a method called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA).
The use of BIA to estimate body fat has been pioneered since the seventies. It was only in the
past decade that the estimation of body fat using BIA technology was successfully offered to
the consumer as a compact bathroom scale. With BIA technology, a low intensity electrical
signal is sent through the body. The signal is very low and causes no bodily harm.
Depending on the amount of body fat of the individual, the electrical signal will flow with a
different degree of difficulty. The difficulty with which a signal flows through the body is called
electrical impedance. Hence, by measuring the electrical impedance and applying to the data
a proprietary algorithm, %BF can be estimated. Please note that the percentage of body fat
and body water will not add up to 100%.
Please be reminded that the %BF estimated with the scale represents only a
good approximation of your actual body fat. There exist clinical methods of
estimating body fat that can be ordered by your physician.

EDUCATION INFORMATION

Age
30-39 40-49
<14 <16
15-21 17-23
22-24 24-26
>24 >26
Age
30-39 40-49
<20 <21
21-29 22-30
30-32 31-33
>32 >33
0044-M380-O1 Rev A ProDoc BFA Series
50-59 60+
<17 <18
18-24 19-25
25-27 26-28
>27 >28
50-59 60+
<22 <23
23-31 24-32
32-33 33-35
>34 >35
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