Almost everyone is familiar with the traditional medical scales in the office of the family doctor. Each time we visit for a check-up we step onto the floor scales, the nurse slides a few weights back and forth and records our weight on our chart. A special arm reaches out and slides down until it rest on our head measuring our height which is also dutifully recorded onto our chart. At a certain age we give up on the hope of getting taller, and settle for the relief of finding out that at least we haven’t shrunk in height since our last visit to the doctor’s office. This is the most commonly known type of medical scales, but there are many other kinds of medical scales as well.

In the first place, not everyone can stand on the standard doctor’s office scales. For those with difficulty in walking or even standing still, there are chair scales. These are modified floor scales which have a chair built into them. The person to be weighed sits on the chair and their weight is measured. There are also medical floor scales which are designed to accommodate a wheelchair. The person in the wheelchair can just roll onto the scale platform and their weight is displayed. The number must be adjusted for the weight of the wheelchair itself, but this can generally be determined from a chart of weights by manufacturer and model number. This number is either tared out of the scales reading, or is manually subtracted before the patient’s weight is added to their medical chart.

For those confined to a hospital bed and unable to stand or even sit on their own, there are medical scales designed for reclining figures. Medical technicians or orderlies can lift the patient from the hospital bed onto the hammock like weighing platform to weigh these patients. For patients who are bedridden for a protracted period of time, regular weight checks ensure that the person is receiving adequate calories in their diet, since medications or the patient’s medical condition may make eating normally difficult or impossible.

For those just wishing to monitor their own weight at home, there are scales today that include functions that offer information that one might have had to get from a doctor’s visit in years past. Modern digital scales can record not just weight, but they can chart it over time. They can also calculate the percentage of body fat that a person is carrying, determine body mass index (BMI), and even measure hydration to determine if a person is a bit dehydrated compared to the norm.

There are so many variations of medical scales available because achieving and maintaining one’s proper weight is a very important aspect of staying healthy over time and well into old age. While some people wait for their annual medical check-up to find out their weight, most recognize the importance of regular weight monitoring and have bathroom scales at home for that purpose.