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Body Fat% is a way off PART2

f|33tStA
over 3 years ago

as the other thread is closed by 

It can't be that the same fat value is always displayed, it can't be normal, all other values ​​change, the fat value is always 7 for every measurement, regardless of which activity class you choose?

Garmin's explanations cannot explain it in that way!

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  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to jasonschildt
    jasonschildt said:

    have had an Index-1 scale for 3+ years and maintained a consistent BF% of 6-8% that tracked realistically with my seasonal weight fluctuations throughout the year.  That gave me the impression that it was actually "working" as accurately as one could expect.

    I just received my Index-2 and like other posts I've ready, I am seeing a 19% BF% which is not possible.

    Hello! I have you added to our case. Can you tell me what your activity class is set too?

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    i think it's very important to play arround really day by day with your Activity class, i made a short comparison with S1 (only 3 day), S2 and Withings Body Cardio, for my feeling the S2 looks good:

    and don't forget, some results are not really compareable when the scale x gives you results in kg and scale y in %

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Hi there! I have continued to add you guys to our ticket while this is still being investigated. 

  • +1 over 3 years ago

    Garmin has been investigating reports of inaccurate body composition metrics reported by customers that have contacted our Product Support teams and discussed in the forums.  This includes getting scales back from customers that exchanged with our Support teams and testing them to ensure they are working as designed.  When comparing measurements such as body fat percentage to the original  Index Smart Scale, non-Garmin smart scales, or handheld body composition devices, different methods are used to obtain the data and it is not unexpected that some data will be different on the Index S2. 

    The Index S2 uses more of the impedance data rather than relying more heavily on a BMI value. We believe that this creates a more accurate reading of body data compared to BMI charts. The body composition metrics provided by Index S2 compares to known gold standard methods (Dexa scan, Bod Pod, etc.) favorably on average. 

     

    To get the most accurate view of your body composition date overtime and determine if you are trending in the right direction compared to your fitness/wellness goals we encourage customers to use the recommendations in this FAQ link:

     

    Why Is My Body Composition Data Different When Compared to other Tests or Scales?

     

    Like other products, the scale has an accuracy tolerance, but we meet or exceed standards for body weight scales. If you are seeing large fluctuations in the metrics displayed on the Index S2, when taking a measurement at around the same time of day and under similar conditions noted in the above FAQ, we recommend contacting our Support teams directly so that we investigate the specific reports. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin-AmberD

    So basically what you are saying is:

    Yes, we have read your numerous reports where the S2 consistently shows a much higher body fat percentage than Dexa scans and other reliable measures.

    We still however believe that our "Index S2" has a very accurate reading.

    In fact we believe it is so accurate that it meets or exceeds current standards. It's that good.

    After all my numerous issues with Garmin devices the past years (the poor ANT+ range of the Fenix 5 so it could not be used with Stryd, the poor battery life of my 5 Plus, the huge number of software issues the past year with my 6 Pro, and Garmin Connect still not able to sync active calories or sleep data properly to Apple health) I think it's finally time for me to jump ship. These issues with the Index S2 scale kind of seals the deal for me.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin-AmberD

    Isn't this a bit underwhelming, automated response?

    Even the "gold standard" methods you cite aren't valid. Bod Pod substantially overestimates body fat (by ~7%) compared to DEXA scan. If you had done your homework, you could have used this information to evade the complaints. (Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have said that!)

    Anyways, I am sure Garmin is aware of the issue by now, and they can neither address it, nor acknowledge it. They must be worried about affecting the sales of the S2. They will probably, silently go back to a BMI-based estimation of Fat% on a future firmware update or add some crude bias correction. Good luck to them.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    i think all of you have to check this table too:

    in what BMI Range you are and look on the second table (what group is really yours)?

    for me (51 years old) with BMI 19,3 and Body Fat arround 12% it sounds more then correct!

    Honestly, I think a good athlete is always very close to the underweight range of his BMI

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    So let see my example:

    52 years old

    69kg

    BMI 22.5

    Fat 19.3  InterrobangInterrobang

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Samora

    Your height and Activity Class?

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to f|33tStA

    176cm, activity i try 6/7/8/9 with small diferentes in results