no successful journey can begin without knowing where youre starting from the same is true for getting in shape without first knowing the shape you are currently in thats what makes the baseline body fat monitor so important in health and fitness nothing else gives such a complete snapshot of the current status of your body so quickly in just seconds the monitor measures body fat body mass index bmi and kilo calorie kcal being informed allows the right areas to be targeted and a safe and healthy training and plan to be developed in conjunction with medical professionals wireless and handheld the monitor is simple to use lightweight and portable its also a breeze to take where its needed and storage is a snap once the batteries included are in and the profile is set up grab the two electrode handles and a small harmless electrical signal speeds throughout the body this is called bioelectrical impedance analysis bia and is internationally recognized as a commonly used method for estimating body composition because it takes different amounts of time for the signal to pass through fat muscle bone and water the time it takes the signal to move from one side of your body to the other is how body fat is calculated fat slows the signal down so for example the more muscle and the less fat thats measured the faster the signal completes its journey within seconds the results appear on the easy to read lcd screen a calculation of the personal data entered height weight age sex etc compared to the speed of the electrical signal body fat is important to know because too much can lead to obesity and obesity related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease bmi looks at body fat relative to height the kcal measurement looks at the basal metabolic rate which is the rate that a person burns calories for basic metabolism functions such as breathing maintaining body temperature and blood circulation in most healthy people the basal metabolic rate accounts for about 60 to 75 of the calories burned by the body the three results combined offer users a complete but basic body composition analysis the unit includes two aaa batteries and an illustrated instruction book accurate to within 0 1 results are displayed in five symbols emaciated standard hide corpulent muscle corpulent and corpulent included charts note the classification of the results capable of storing up to 9 personal profiles while accurate this device is only for reference please consult a doctor to determine the proper fat percentage for your body and health status baseline products are a trusted name in measurement and evaluation instruments their products have been used by medical professionals therapists doctors and rehab clinics all over the world since 1974 if you have ever received therapy after an injury you have probably had your progress tested and measured with a baseline measurement instrument