A relay 201 is provided for opening and closing the signal path connecting
the measurement circuits and an electrode, and a relay 213 is provided
for opening and closing a DC power line extending from an AC-DC adaptor 3
connected to a commercial AC power supply 5. In the measurement of the
impedance, before supplying the current through the body of the subject,
the relay 213 is opened to disconnect the commercial AC power supply 5
from a main unit 2 and a personal computer 1 so that the circuits are
driven by the DC power from a battery 102. After that, the relay 201 is
closed to connect the measuring circuit with the electrodes 10, 11, a
weak current is passed through the body of the subject via the electrodes
10, and a voltage generated in the body by the current is measured with
the electrodes 11. After the measurement, the relay 201 is opened, the
relay 213 is closed, and body composition information is calculated and
displayed by performing a calculation based on the measurement value of
the impedance and body specific information. Thus, the muscle mass or
other information of the subject can be accurately obtained, while
electric shock is assuredly prevented during the measurement.