My body fat percentage is off.Updated 16 days ago

If you need us to look into one of your scans, please make sure to report the scan before reaching out to our team at [email protected].

Our body fat percentage is trained on DEXA scans, the gold standard of body composition analysis. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), the technology in most widely available body fat scales such as InBody, tends to read lower than DEXA. In our study, a BIA scale (the InBody Dial H20) consistently underestimated body fat compared with DEXA (read the study). So if you're used to a BIA scale, it's normal for ShapeScale's body fat reading to be higher.

In our March 2026 study, we compared ShapeScale with DEXA scans in more than 1,000 adults. ShapeScale body fat was off by 1.89 percentage points on average. A four-point bioelectrical impedance (BIA) scale, the InBody Dial H20, was off by 5.01 points. ShapeScale lean mass was off by 1.34 kg (3.0 lb) on average, with an R² of 0.98. Read the full study in our March 2026 accuracy white paper, or see all of our white papers.

That being said, if your body fat estimation is very far off (-/+10%), feel free to report the scan and we can look into it for you.

NOTE: In a lot of cases, incorrect body fat estimations happen because the scanning guidelines haven’t been followed properly. More specifically regarding skin tight clothing and tying your hair in a bun.