system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: how do the scales that measure your body composition work???

Like how do I step on it and it just knows how much visceral fat, skeletal muscle, WATER IM CARRYING, and all that info? How accurate/reliable is it?

Thank you for any answers this may get!!
gpt
They basically run a current of electricity through you. Muscle and fat conduct electricity differently so the scales measure how much of the current your body resists/absorbs and guesses your composition.

As you can guess they're not very accurate as the skin on people's feet is typically highly variable plus people aren't completely dry when stepping on scales.

The body comp scales that you use with your hands then to be more accurate.