KDKA.com Consumer Web Extras
Jan 13, 2010 5:52 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Reports Weighs Options In Bathroom Scales
(KDKA)
With two-thirds of Americans overweight, the U.S. ranks in the top three countries for obesity.
While there's a lot that factors into getting your weight in check, health experts say weighing yourself regularly is key.
So, Consumer Reports tested 11 bathroom scales including digital scales, ones with dials, a solar-powered scale and some with memory features. They ranged in price from $18 to $65.
The $30 Weight Watchers scale remembers your last five weigh-ins.
A $35 one from Healthometer can remember the last reading for two people, and then it can calculate the difference.
To test the scales, almost a dozen panelists first weighed in on a calibrated standard lab scale. Then, they stepped on each of the scales in random order.
It turns out that the dial scales didn't measure up. They weren't nearly as accurate as the digital ones. In some of the tests, they were as much as seven to 11 pounds off the mark.
All of the digital scales performed well, with seven rating excellent.
Consumer Reports top-rated the $35 Taylor Glass Electronic Scale model 7506.
Consumer Reports says whichever scale you choose, be sure to use it on a hard, level surface to ensure accuracy.
And for consistency, it's also important to weigh yourself at the same time - first thing in the morning. That's because your weight can fluctuate throughout the day, depending on what you've had to eat.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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