Share my weight loss goals with all my Twitter friends? I think not. A start-up company called Withings, however, thinks the idea might catch on. Figures it’s a French firm (We all know “French Women Don’t Get Fat”).

Its product, a Wi-Fi connected bathroom scale ($159), records your body weight, lean and fat mass, and calculated body mass index (BMI) to a secure web page, your iPhone and (gasp) your Twitter account. I’ve had a hard enough time losing those last five pounds as it is. I certainly don’t need an audience.

Or, maybe I do. The fact that the “whole world” can watch my weight rollercoaster, just might give me push I need to stay on track. And that, “hey, I see you put on a couple of pounds over the weekend” comment from a friend is sure to embarrass me back onto the treadmill.

Thank goodness Withings understands my uncertainty about using Twitter as a weight-loss tool. The scale comes with the feature disabled. To activate it you go to company website, www.withings.com, and follow the instructions (you can view a product demo there, too).

During the Twitter set-up process, you can set Twitter alerts to post automatically each time you step on the scale, or daily, weekly or monthly. The tweet will read your current weight and how many pounds you have left to reach your goal.

Whether you choose to Twitter or not, the ability to track your progress graphically on a web page is beneficial to anyone looking to slim down or beef up. Studies show that people who record their weight regularly have more success at reaching their goals than those who don’t.

Maintaining a log is effortless—all you do is step on the scale and the data is wirelessly transmitted to your secure web page. Wish losing weight was that easy.

About the Author:
Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.