A scale for the Iron Man in your family

(Credit: The Competitive Edge)

Those callous souls who gave their poor mums a Wii Fit for Mother's Day should take note: They can even the score between parents by giving a similarly subtle hint to dad this weekend. But why not be a little more creative?

Tanita is pushing its "BC-558 Tanita Ironman Segmental and Full Body Composition Monitor" as an ideal Father's Day gift. It's especially useful for those vain fathers who spend too much time at the gym and flexing in the bathroom mirror, because this scale measures the body by segments--as in arms, legs, and the trunk. It's probably equally appropriate for dads of the flabbier variety, as it gauges "segmental body fat" as well as muscle, bone mass, and metabolic rates.

For those fitness-challenged types, Tanita even makes another kind of scale that would be a perfect companion gift: a kitchen version that's sensitive enough to weight every Cheeto, right down to the crumb.