Why would the doctor’s scales show six pounds less than mine?

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I waited myself at home first thing in the morning without eating and was eight 8 stone 12
At the doctors surgery an hour later , I was weighed again , and I was lower and I had lost six pounds. I think the doctor's scales were not accurate because I weigh myself regularly and I am regularly the higher weight

One set of scales is not calibrated properly, not sure what other explanation there could be

Either your scales or theirs aren’t calibrated correctly. You could test yours by weighing something exact eg a dumbbell or unopened bag of flour.

Or did you have a haircut on the way to the doctor’s?

(Sorry, couldn’t resist)

Surely it's more likely that the doctor's scales were accurate and calibrated?

Medical scales are usually calibrated annually.

Yours may be wrong. Try weighing something at home that is a fixed weight.

Have you tried putting your scales in a different room?

Sometimes if your floor is wonky it changes the results

My scales are digital. I bought them a month ago. I think the Gp ones are wrong because at home i weigh 8 stone 12 and we recently had a wellbeing day at work where I was weighed and I was wearing clothes and had eaten, and the weight recorded me as 9 stone. I do not like analogue scales. So on that basis j think the GP scales are wrong. No way can I be 6 pounds lighter in the space of an hour. In the waiting room of my surgery they have scales. I might use them and see

Since coming back from the doctor I've eaten something.So i've just weighed myself , not with clothes , and I have gone up to 9 stone which is to be expected so that is accurate.. i honestly suspect that the doctor's scales were wrong.

As said above, you can check if your scales are correct by weighing something that you know the exact weight of.

According to the internet, digital scales are more accurate.So you should believe digital scales results over analogue

The other way round, I'd say maybe you had something very heavy in your trouser pocket (which you'd presumably know). But unless your dressing gown has pockets and you keep paperweights there, this theory won't work.
Is the discrepancy worth mentioning? As in, is it enough to affect anyone's health/treatment if the doctor's scale really is wrong?

OP suggest not weighing yourself over and over take something that has the exact weight on it such as a bag of flour, or any product that states its weight.
That way you can see whether your scale is off and by how much.

As others have said, you can check your scales by weighing something with a known weight.

Why does it matter?

This doesn't prove yours are right though. It shows you're heavier than before but both readings could be wrong by the same amount.

Is this negligible amount of disparity worth so much investigative effort?

6lb? Hardly negligible.

It's within tolerance for calibration differences. It doesn't even amount to water weight fluctuation. It's negligible.

I’d feed back politely then that your recorded weight today may be inaccurate.

Analogue scales may not have been set to zero, people can be careless with them and parents often let their kids jump on them…

We have analogue and digital scales in my surgery, but tend to check they’re zeroed before use.

It’s not negligible - 6 pounds is potentially 5% of the OPs weight, depending on whose scales are correct!

A pound or two may be negligible but nearly half a stone isn’t in medical terms.

Negligible.

Do you have your scales on a firm flat surface or on carpet? That can make a difference.

Don’t be daft. Unintentional weight loss is important, as is monitoring for weight with certain medication, eating disorders etc hence why accuracy is needed. A 5% weight loss could be a concern.

Well I would weigh myself at home and then at Boots or a friend’s house and see how different it is.

I agree that your scales need to be on a hard flat surface, not carpet.

Wrong. Digital scales are easier to read correctly, but they are not in and of themselves more accurate than analogue scales.

What the bloody hell does "It's within tolerance for calibration differences" mean? Unless you know the stated accuracy of both sets of scales that's meaningless.