The Vitalio BF101

Code 310 - Vitalio Body Fat Analyzer - $18.95

ody fat analysis by means of testing the body's current impedience is a well-established science. There are hoards of products now that make use of this simple technology -- most of them $60 and up, but many ranging in the hundreds. In preparation for the introduction of our own weight-loss system, we felt we would make available a simple handheld unit that does the very same thing for well under $20 USD...
It can reasonably be argued that obesity is the health care crisis in the West. More than half of all Americans, for example, are obese (55%, versus 43% in 1960 -- according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the U.S. -- with 22.5% "clinically obese," versus 13% in 1960). The long term prognosis for not promising, either, with one University of Colorado research indicating that nearly all Americans will one day be overweight given current trends. Since obesity causes or aggravates diabetes, heart disease, certain cancer types, and other chronic diseases (a risk increase of up to 60%), this trend is a disturbing one.
Although using gross body weight (relative to other parameters, such as gender and age) was a standard practice for years, body fat is now a preferred measure of determining healthy body weight. The table below reflects current benchmarks:

Gender/Age	Slim	Normal	Slightly Fat	Obese
Male 30 Yrs or Younger	< 14%	14 – 20%	20 – 30%	More than 30%
Male Older than 30 Yrs	< 17%	17 – 23%	23 – 30%	More than 35%
Female 30 Yrs or Younger	< 17%	17 – 24%	24 – 35%	More than 35%
Female Older than 30 Yrs	< 20%	20 – 27%	27 – 35%	More than 35%

Body fat is not the only measure of determining the degree of obesity, of course -- but it is the most accurate one. For a quick assessment of your own body weight status, other standards include BMI (body mass index), where you divide your body weight in kilograms (in U.S.: divide weight in pounds by 2.2046) by your height in meters squared (in U.S.: take height in inches and divide by 39.37 - then multiple the result by itself). If your BMI is 25 or higher, you're overweight; 30 or above, obese.
Another quick measure that will indicate if you are at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers, is waist circumference. For men, the threshold is 40 inches; for women, 35.
Such measures are not a replacement for body fat analysis -- but they put you in the ballpark. The table below provides Cautions and Specifications relative to the Vitalio. Note: This model reads in English measures (lbs., feet and inches), not metric.

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Accurate & Incredibly
Easy to Use

he Vitalio Body Fat Analyzer accurately gives you your body fat with one-tenth of a percent -- within seconds. And it is so easy to use: there are just five buttons: (1) Power, (2) Up Arrow (), (3) Down Arrow (), (4) Set, and (5) Go.

Step 1: Push the Power button to activate. Then use the up and down arrows to pick which "personal data" number you wish to use. The Vitalio stores up to 8 different sets of data, so if several people are using it and regularly monitoring their body fat, they don't have to enter their personal information in every time they use the device. They just pick the number that belongs to them, and hit "Set" until they get to Stage 5 (see below). If you are using the Vitalio for the first time, you will probably just hit "Set" and move on -- choosing to use "1" as the default. The "237" you see above is the weight from a previous user. Ignore the stated weight when you begin from Step 1 --- you will, after all, be entering in your own weight, or just sticking with a previously entered default weight that has been for that personality.

Step 2: Use the up and down arrows to enter your current body weight. If you hold DOWN on these arrows, they will be into fast-forward (or fast-reverse, if hitting "down arrow"). Hit "Set."

Step 3: Use the arrows, up or down, to enter your height in feet. Hit "Set." Then inches. Hit "Set" again.

Step 4: Use the arrows, up or down, to enter in your age (in years). Hit "Set." Use the arrows to pick the male OR the female icon, thus entering your gender. Hit "Set."

Step 5: Now you are ready to measure your "percent body fat." Hit "GO," put both thumbs firmly and flat over the two round, metal probes. Keep them there while Vitalio uses electrical methods to calculate your body fat as a percentage of your total body weight. On the display above, you see three areas: (1) Your Personality Identifying Number (an integer, 1 through 8); (2) Your Body Fat, as a percentage of your total weight, taken out to two decimal places, and; (3) A graphic "body type" representation, using one of five figures - from underweight to clinically obese. That's it! When you're finished viewing the results, hit "Power" again to turn your Vitalio off.