Body Fat% is a way off PART3

Ok but the Part 2 thread is still open, though...

now we do need this thread as Garmin-AmberD has repeated the official statement of "accurate on average", upvoted her post, then locked the thread. no indication there is any likelihood of a resolution

i've applied a hack of setting my age to 20 (my "fitness age") rather than 44 (my chronological age), along with setting the maximum activity level of 10 and got my BF% down from ~18 to ~12 but still well off the ~8 which i have reason to believe is correct

That's what I did after my test comparing Index2 - Tanita and Withings.(posted here)

Everyday the results with the fitness age(by Garmin) and the Tanita ones are more or less similar.

Anyway I can't understand why if according to Garmin the difference is the impedance of Index2, only changing the age the results vary so much. 

I think it's an algorithm software that can be solved via software.

It has been the same with mark 1 of the "Smart Scale". It like the mark 2,is marketed as actually and now "accurate on average". In the marketing ,the impression is intentionally given that it is actually measuring things like body fat and skeletal muscle mass, and bone mass. I'd love to see a properly equipped lab verify this. My suspicion is that it all just powered/spoiled by a not very good algorithm. I keep my mark 1 scale around as it saves me about 10 seconds a day sending my weight to the "ecosystem". I'd never recommend it at the price as it'd take a long time to pay for itself at that hourly rate. And I was ready to consider buying the mark 2 if it seemed to actually do what it Garmin market it as capable of after observing this forum for 6 months. There's no convincing evidence that the tech works any better and as described. I believe the aesthetics have changed though ... 

For everyone that thinks that the Garmin Index S2 calculates the wrong body fat number, PLEASE stop posting until you can back up your findings with a DEXA scan.  When you post, put the DEXA score w/date in your post.  If we do this, and there really is a problem, then Garmin can properly address it.  My humble opinion is that people post when they think their body fat is lower than it really is.  Sorry, but I can say this because I DID; posted wishful thinking rather than data.

UCDavis DEXA report (4/28/21) - Body Fat = 18.2%

Garmin Index S2 report (4/28/21) - Body Fat = 18.8%

Garmin Index S2 report (4/29/21) - Body Fat = 17.5%

Today (week of 5/23/21) - Body Fat Average = 16.5%

Weight = 155

Activity Level = 9

Age = 64

Height = 5' 11"

It takes A LONG TIME to reduce your body fat percentage.  If you take a measure, fart, and take another measure, your body fat can change .5%.  Just sayin'.

Please don't cram this forum with wishful thinking.  Thanks.

My DEXA said 28%

My index2 said 18%

I KNOW mine is higher than what the index2 says.

The wishful thinking are those that think the index2 works.

So it doesn't work for you.  Open a support ticket rather than generalize.  Perhaps you can get some feedback that'll help you.

I did.

I was told "the device works". and basically told to go away. That is why most of the people are on here ranting, lots with the same experience.

Same thing with Index1 and wifi - we were told there was no wifi problem with the index1 until they fixed it.

Why should I spend money on DEXA scan to prove Garmin wrong? That is ridiculous. I bought Index S2 scale so that I don't have to do that. My scale consistently gives me BF% between 20 and 21, sometimes more than 21. Body fat % above 20% is considered unhealthy. But in reality I am a decently fast ultra-runner who regularly finishes in top 10-20% in running races. I used tape measurements method, and that gives me 15-16% BF. Looking at various sources on internet, including photographs of men at different body fat levels, there is absolutely no way I have above 20%. My body composition is much more consistent with 15-16%.

There are multiple researches that show strong negative correlation between body fat % and VO2max. Garmin knows so much information about us including estimated VO2max. Why that isn't taken into account when estimating body fat? 

And i'd said more...the best proof is that only changing the age the %body fat values vary enormously. Take 2 measure one after the other only changing the age. In my case my BF% differs ~%4