Let’s face it, at the simplest level, at least part of our product is in fact a weighing scale.
And the weighing scale in its classic form has not always nurtured the healthiest relationships.
Weight, literally just a measurement of how heavy we are, is a number that often controls the image we have of ourselves–we often let the digits decide how we perceive ourselves and others in this world.
It’s not our fault. Society has falsely taught us that this number can determine who we are, how we should feel, how we should dress, and even how we should be treated.
BBalance wants to say goodbye to that.
Weight is literally just a number. A number that simply tells us how much force of gravity it takes to keep our glorious bodies stable on the ground.
Our weight does not determine…
- Our fitness level
- Our muscle or bone masses
- Our strengths and abilities
- Our mental health
- Our creativity and kindness
- Our hopes and dreams
- Our beauty
- Our worth
And yet, the ridiculously weight-centric world that we live in has skewed the way we view weight.
But things are slowly changing. Research suggests, “The weight-normative approach is not improving health for the majority of individuals across the entire weight continuum. Weight is overemphasized for higher-weight individuals (i.e., assumptions are made that they are unhealthy) and underemphasized for lower- or “average-” weight individuals (i.e., assumptions are made that they are healthy).” Instead, it is increasingly being suggested that fat measurement and overall body composition, along with weight, could be a lot more useful.
Infact, there is plenty of evidence that even BMI (Body Mass Index) , which is determined by your weight and height, is an incomplete measurement of health and wellness.
“The BMI was introduced in the early 19th century by a Belgian named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. He was a mathematician, not a physician. He produced the formula to give a quick and easy way to measure the degree of obesity of the general population to assist the government in allocating resources. In other words, it is a 200-year-old hack.”
While BMI can still be important in the sense that doctors use it for a broader picture of their patients, it doesn’t show everything.
“Though this can give the healthcare professional a snapshot of a person’s health based on a person’s weight, it doesn’t consider other factors, such as age, sex, race, genetics, fat mass, muscle mass, and bone density.”
Numbers that matter as much as your weight include waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, lipid profile, exercise, body composition, posture, balance, sleep, screen time and water intake.
We want to do our part in changing the conversation from just weight and BMI, both incomplete measures of health, when looked at alone, to a more holistic view. Our inclusion of posture, body composition and balance, as part of your BBalance metrics, is the first steps towards doing just that!
We’re not saying don’t weigh yourself– we wouldn't have created our smart bath mat if we thought it was completely unnecessary.
Our greater goal though, is to change the way you view your weight to where weighing yourself benefits you, giving you the power back. That’s why we’ve added features to the scale that provide you with more metrics and guidance that go beyond the weight. That’s why, instead of having to deal with the numbers irregularly (not really useful) or on a daily basis (which is just scary and can become problematic), BBalance does it for you. You don’t even have to think about it–you can access your information if and only when you want to.
Plus, here are some things to pay attention to while weighing yourself (to help you shift perspective)–
- If you are actively living a healthy lifestyle but still struggling with the number on the scale, focus on body composition. You may not be noticing the inch loss, a better indication of fitness!
- Your weight fluctuates on a daily basis. That’s completely normal.
- The number you see is not reflective of your overall health. Use weight as one metric towards a more comprehensive view of your well being.
- Muscle and fat can weigh the same. So the lack of changes on the scale could actually be reflective of you replacing fat with muscle.
- We are all unique. 3 people with the same weight can look completely different! Let the number on the scale be a marker for you to keep track of your own personal health.