It was not so long ago that about the only information that you could expect from a scale was a reading of your weight. Sure, the medical scales at the doctor’s office had an attachment to measure your height at the same time, but that was state of the art. Many of the floor scales that you can buy today, however, take advantage of the miniaturization of electronics and the reduction in the cost of computer processing to record a variety of statistics and even store the data to calculate trends over time.

One of the most popular bathroom scales commonly found today, has conductive plates on its top surface that run a tiny, imperceptible current through your feet to measure your percentage of body fat. You manually enter your height and some other very basic information and it records your weight and calculates the amount of body fat you have. This scale remembers the user data so you only need to enter your information once when you first start using the scale. It can keep several users’ data stored at once so that couples can both use the scales features, as can visiting guests or relatives.

Other scales have features that make them easier to use as well. If you are near-sighted, for example, there are bathroom scales with large digital readout panels, and even scales that have a raised eye-level readout panel. These are very convenient. There are scales that can record your weight from day to day and plot a chart to show you whether you are gaining weight, losing weight, or maintaining your weight over a period of time.

For pet owners, there are even floor scales with large top surfaces so that you can fit all four of a dog’s legs onto the scale at once to weigh your pet. Your veterinarian will tell you the ideal weight for your dog or cat to reduce the risk of health problems as the animal ages. Overweight cats in particular are prone to health complications such as diabetes and kidney failure. Both dogs and cats that maintain a healthy weight will tend to live longer and have much more energy throughout their lives.

The old bathroom scales also all had a similar industrial sort of look to them. Today’s scales are as much a home décor accessory piece as they are functional. There are so many styles to choose from that everyone is sure to find something that enhances the room in which they are to be placed. There are modern designs of glass and steel, traditional designs, and colors to highlight any floor and wall coloring.

Today’s bathroom scales are both aesthetically pleasing, and full of high tech features, and as an added bonus, they will still help you keep track of your weight.