Withings’ New Smart Scale Zaps the Sweat Glands in Your Feet for Signs of Trouble

Health tech company Withings has released the BodyScan 2, a smart scale with an HD color display that “provides a comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular and metabolic health.” The device is available today for a whopping $600. Like many smart scales, the BodyScan 2 measures a lot more than your weight. Using electrical impulses sent through electrodes in both its glass plate and a retractable handle, Withings claims that it “directly measures” things like cellular health and age. It can also measure your visceral fat—that is, the kind bunched around your organs that’s considered more dangerous for your long-term health than the more obviously jiggly stuff just under your skin. Withings says the BodyScan 2’s rechargeable battery can last for up to 15 months on a charge. The retractable handle is an important part of this, as the electrical impulses that body composition scales send through you only measure the part of your nervous system they traverse. If they go only through your feet, they might only travel up one leg and down the other, limiting their effectiveness. One thing the BodyScan 2 does is zap the sweat glands in your feet to measure your nerve response. While discus