New Delhi, April 1 -- For decades, we have given primacy to a single metric-our weight. This has been the prime measure of health, at least at the household level. In 2026, and we're long past that, as there are a lot more metrics such as BMI, body composition and heart rate which are better yardsticks. With smart scales beginning to offer more insights than one can process, the question then boils down to this: are they worth it, and if so, will the investment pay off in the long run?

The answer is a resounding yes, even if you go for the entry-level smart scales. Some monitoring is better than none. However, people don't really seem to be using them, instead sticking with weighing scales. I visited two gyms near my house and asked two ...