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Few topics are more debated in health than the value of the humble bathroom scale. Some experts advocate daily self-weigh-ins to promote accountability for weight management, particularly when we鈥檙e following a diet and exercise program to lose weight.

Others suggest ditching self-weigh-ins altogether, arguing they can trigger negative聽聽when we don鈥檛 like, or understand, the number we see on the scale.

Many, like me, recommend using scales to weigh yourself weekly, even when we're not trying to lose weight. Here鈥檚 why.

聽confirms regular self-weighing is an effective weight loss and management strategy, primarily because it helps increase awareness of our current weight and any changes.

础听聽found participants who weighed themselves weekly or daily over several months lost 1鈥�3 BMI (body mass index) units more and regained less weight than participants who didn鈥檛 weight themselves frequently. The weight-loss benefit was evident with weekly weighing; there was no added benefit with daily weighing.

Self-weigh-ins are an essential tool for weight management as we age. Adults聽听辫谤辞驳谤别蝉蝉颈惫别濒测听. While the average weight gain is typically between聽, this modest accumulation of weight can lead to obesity over time. Weekly weighing and keeping track of the results helps avoid unnecessary weight gain.

Tracking our weight can also help identify medical issues early. Dramatic changes in weight can be an early sign of some conditions, including problems with our thyroid, digestion and diabetes.

Our body weight can fluctuate within a single day and across the days of the week.听聽show body weight fluctuates by 0.35% within the week and it鈥檚 typically higher after the weekend.

Daily and day-to-day body weight fluctuations have several causes, many linked to our body鈥檚 water content. The more common causes include:

When we鈥檝e eaten a dinner higher in carbohydrates, we鈥檒l weigh more the next day. This change is a result of our bodies temporarily carrying more water. We聽聽per gram of carbohydrate consumed to store the energy we take from carbs.

Our water content also increases when we consume聽. Our bodies try to maintain a balance of sodium and water. When the concentration of salt in our bloodstream increases, a mechanism is triggered to restore balance by retaining water to dilute the excess salt.

Whether it's 30 grams of nuts or 65 grams of lean meat, everything we eat and drink has weight, which increases our body weight temporarily while we digest and metabolise what we鈥檝e consumed.

Our weight also tends to be lower first thing in the morning after our food intake has been restricted overnight and higher in the evening after our daily intake of food and drinks.

If we weigh ourselves at the gym after a workout, there鈥檚 a good chance we鈥檒l weigh less due to sweat-induced fluid loss. The amount of water lost varies depending on things like our workout intensity and duration, the temperature and humidity, along with our sweat rate and hydration level. On average,聽聽during an hour of聽.

聽within your menstrual cycle can also affect fluid balance. Women may experience聽聽and temporarily gain 0.5鈥�2kg of weight at this time. Specifically, the luteal phase, which represents the second half of a woman's cycle, results in a shift of fluid from your blood plasma to your cells, and聽.

Going to the bathroom can lead to small but immediate weight loss as waste is eliminated from the body. While the amount lost will vary, we generally eliminate聽聽through our daily bowel movements.

All of these fluctuations are normal, and they're not indicative of significant changes in our body fat or muscle mass. However, seeing these fluctuations can lead to unnecessary stress and a fixation with our weight.

Weighing too frequently can create an obsession with the number on the scales and do more harm than good.

Often, our reaction when we see this number not moving in the direction we want or expect is to further restrict our food intake or embark on fad dieting. Along with not being enjoyable or sustainable, fad diets also ultimately increase our weight gain rather than reversing it.

This was confirmed in a聽聽comparing intentional weight loss among more than 4,000 twins. The researchers found the likelihood of becoming overweight by the age of 25 was significantly greater for a twin who dieted to lose 5kg or more. This suggests frequent dieting makes us more susceptible to weight gain and prone to future weight gain.

Weighing ourselves weekly gives a more accurate measure of our weight trends over time.

Aim to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time and in the same environment each week 鈥� for example, first thing every Friday morning when you鈥檙e getting ready to take a shower, after you鈥檝e gone to the bathroom, but before you've drunk or eaten anything.

Use the best quality scales you can afford. Change the batteries regularly and check their accuracy by using a 鈥渒nown鈥� weight 鈥� for example, a 10kg weight plate. Place the 鈥渒nown鈥� weight on the scale and check the measurement aligns with the 鈥渒nown鈥� weight.

Remember, the number on the scale is just one part of health and weight management. Focusing solely on it can overshadow other indicators, such as聽. It鈥檚 also essential to pay equal attention to how we鈥檙e feeling, physically and emotionally.

Stop weighing yourself 鈥� at any time interval 鈥� if it鈥檚 triggering anxiety or stress, and get in touch with a health-care professional to discuss this.

This article was first published on聽the Conversation聽as '', written by Dr , Commercial and Industry Research Leader at the Charles Perkin Centre.听