Tanita TBF-551 Instruction Manual
Instruction Manual
Read this Instruction Manual carefully
and keep it for future reference.
TBF-551BODYFAT
MONITOR/ SCALE
1
Safety precautions
• Persons with implanted medical equipment, such as a pacemaker, should not
use the TBF-551. This Body Fat Monitor/Scale passes a very low electrical
signal through the body during measurement, which may interfere with the
operation of a pacemaker.
• The Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scale TBF-551 is intended for home use only.
This unit is not intended for professional use in hospitals or other medical facilities.
It is not equipped with the installation standards required for professional use.
• Do not use this unit on slippery surfaces such as tile flooring or wet floors.
• Children or disabled people should be assisted by someone else, or use a handrail
when using the TBF-551.
Important notes for users
There are three modes on the TBF-551: 1) Standard Adult mode, 2) Child mode and 3)
Athlete adult mode. Adults (age 18 or older) who are inactive to moderately active
should use the Standard Adult mode. Very physically active and fit individuals should
use the Athlete adult mode. The Athlete mode was developed to provide a more accurate reading for athletic body types. Athletic body types are physiologically different
than standard adult body types, due to muscle mass and hydration level differences.
Tanita defines “athlete” as a person involved in intense physical activity of approximately 10 hours per week and who has a resting heart rate of approximately 60 beats
per minute or less. Tanita’s athlete definition includes “lifetime of fitness” individuals
who have been fit for years but currently exercise less than 10 hours per week.
T anita’s athlete definition does not include “enthusiastic beginners” who are making a
real commitment to exercising at least 10 hours per week but whose bodies have not
yet changed to require the Athlete mode.
Body fat percentage estimates may be slightly lower or higher for the following
categories of people:
• Adults seventy years old or older
• Persons undergoing dialysis
• Persons suffering from edema
Body fat percentage measurements for these persons should not be treated as absolute
values, but may be used as relative values for checking body fat percent variations
over a period of time.
The body fat monitor function of the TBF-551 is not intended for pregnant women, professional athletes or bodybuilders.
Recommendations for exercise programs or diets based on calculated data should be
determined by a doctor or licensed medical professional. Do not attempt to evaluate
the data by yourself.
Recorded data may be lost if the TBF-551 is used incorrectly or is exposed to electrical
power surges. Tanita takes no responsibility for any kind of loss caused by
the loss of recorded data.
Tanita takes no responsibility for any kind of damage or loss caused by these units, or
any kind of claim made by a third person.
Note: Body fat percentage estimates will vary with the amount of moisture in the body, and can be
affected by dehydration or overhydration due to such factors as alcohol consumption, menstruation, illness, intense exercise, etc.
Thank you for your selection of the T anita
Body Fat Monitor/Scale TBF-551. This device
uses the BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis)
technique, state-of-the-art technology for body
fat measurement.
Note: Read this Instruction Manual carefully and keep
it handy for future reference.
Operating Instructions
Tanita TBF-551 Body Fat Monitor/Scale
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The Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scale TBF-551 allows you to measure your body fat
percentage at home as easily as you measure your weight.
What is body fat percentage?
Body fat percentage is the percentage of fat in your body. Until now, your absolute
weight has determined whether or not you were considered overweight or obese. In
recent years, the definition of obesity has been refined to mean the presence of excess
body fat. Too much body fat has been linked to conditions such as high blood pressure,
heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other disabling conditions.
The BIA method
The TBF-551 uses the BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) technique. In this method,
a safe low-level electrical signal is passed through the body. It is difficult for the signal to
flow through fat in the human body, but easy to flow through moisture in the muscle
and other body tissues. The difficulty with which a signal flows through a substance is
called impedance. So the amount of fat in the body can be accurately estimated by measuring the impedance. The signal used is very low, making it safe and imperceptible.
The illustration on the left show how the signal travels through the body.
Body fat percentage fluctuations in a day
Hydration levels in the body may affect body fat readings. Readings are usually highest
in the early waking hours, since the body tends to be dehydrated after a long night’s
sleep. For the most accurate reading, a person should take a body fat percentage reading
at a consistent time of day under consistent conditions.
Besides this basic cycle of fluctuations in the daily body fat readings, variations may be
caused by hydration changes in the body due to eating, drinking, menstruation, illness,
exercising, and bathing. Daily body fat readings are unique to each person, and depend
upon one’s lifestyle, job and activities.
The graph on the left shows an example of daily body fat percentage fluctuations.
Advantages of the Tanita TBF-551
Previously, body fat percentage was determined by measuring the thickness of subcutaneous fat by pinching it with calipers, or by laying a person on a scanning bed and passing a current from hand to foot. However, these methods had problems; measurement
values varied, professional skills were required, and extensive time was required for measurement. Currently, the gold standard methods of fat percentage measurement are the
underwater weighing method and DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorbsiometry).
Based on data from DEXA, Tanita established a formula for estimating the body fat percentage. There is a high correlation between measurements taken with the TBF-551 and
those obtained through the underwater weighing and DEXA methods.
Principles of body fat percentage measurement
Tanita’s patented “foot-pad” design sends a safe,
low-level electrical signal through the body to deter-
mine its composition.
6 am
22
21
20
19
18
17
10 am 2 pm 6 pm 10 pm Time
Body Fat %
1, 2
Healthy Overfat ObeseUnderfat
Female
Age
Male
Age
Body Fat Ranges for Standard Adults
20–39
40–59
60–79
10%0% 20% 30% 40%
20–39
40–59
60–79
1
Based on NIH/WHO BMI Guidelines.
2
As reported by Gallagher, et al., at NY Obesity Research Center.
To determine the percentage of body fat that is appropriate for your body , consult your physician.
Healthy Overfat ObeseUnderfat
3
Safety precautions
Important notes for users
Principles of body fat percentage measurement
What is body fat percentage?
Reasonable ranges of body fat percentage
Body fat percentage measurement
Body fat percentage fluctuations in a day
Advantages of the Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scale TBF-551
Features and functions of TBF-551
Components
Measuring platform
Accessories
Useful features of the TBF-551
Switching the Weight Mode (lb, kg or st-lb)
Preparations before use
Inserting the batteries
Positioning the unit
Attaching the support feet
How to measure body fat percentage
Overview of measuring
Setting and storing data in memory
Taking measurements
Taking weight measurement only
Changing values in memory
Replacing the batteries
Troubleshooting
Warranty form
Table of contents
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NOTICE
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio or television technician for help.
Modifications
The FCC requires the user to be notified that any changes or modifications made to this device that are not expressly approved by Tanita Corporation may void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
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