Unlike other BIA handheld fitness equipment and scales, which only have electrodes either in the hands or under the feet, the Bodystat 1500 measures the resistance through the true dimensions of the body - hand to foot, which allows for a much more accurate and reliable measurement.  BIA using the Bodystat 1500 is a great way of monitoring your weight loss and tracking your training progress since you can monitor both components of body weight – adipose tissue and lean (muscle and bone) tissue. This assessment allows an individual to actually see slight changes in lean muscle tissue and fat percentage - even when body dimensions and body weight may not give an indication. In fact monitoring weight changes alone can be highly misleading, since muscle, which is mostly water, is denser and heavier than fat tissue.  An increase in percentage lean tissue from strength training automatically decreases the body fat percentage.

In addition to being able to measure fat and lean tissue, the Bodystat 1500 is also able to provide ideal ranges based on your actual results - not from height/weight tables and other normative data.  The Bodystat 1500 is also able to measure your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR.  BMR is the minimum amount of energy required by the body simply to sustain life functions such as heart contraction and breathing while in a subconscious (sleeping) state.  This value is directly proportional to lean muscle tissue content, since muscle consumes energy and produces body heat.  For example, even at rest a bodybuilder will have a higher metabolism and consume more energy than an unconditioned sedentary individual. The unit can even calculate an Estimated Average Requirement or EAR- the number of calories (energy) you require in a day based on your BMR and your reported daily physical activity level. Finally, the Bodystat 1500 is able to determine hydration status too, which is critical for athletes, especially runners performing in warm temperatures.