Twitter users can share their weight-loss battle on the microblogging site after a French company created a set of bathroom scales that send a tweet every time a person weighs themself 

The 2010s have barely started but in ten years this must be high on the list of the most useless inventions of the decade. It's made in France: a set of bathroom scales that send a tweet every time a person weighs themself. The Wi-Fi Body Scales automatically record the weight and body mass index of the user, and can upload those details to a webpage or iPhone application.

But now Withings, the French company behind the device, has added the ability to post that information on Twitter, the microblogging service. It means that every time a user steps on the scales, their entire social network will know how well – or how badly – their battle with the bulge is going. Withings said the Twitter integration was designed to "keep users motivated."

“We strive to bring innovation, design and technology to everyday objects through a wireless connection to the internet and we feel the Wi-Fi Body Scale truly delivers on all fronts,” said Cedric Hutchings, general manager at Withings. “We want to establish ourselves as makers of wirelessly connected products that make everyday life better.”

The scales – which are available from online retailers, such as Amazon – use "biometric impedance analysis" to provide what the company claims is a more accurate calculation of the user's body fat composition. Up to eight people can use a single set of scales, tracking their weight loss through graphs and data which they can access on their iPhone or on their website.

Although the company has not said how many people are tweeting their weight on the microblogging site, a search of Twitter reveals dozens of users of the Wi-Fi Body Scales. One of the best known is Bob Metcalfe, a prominent venture capitalist and technology pioneer who invented Ethernet, the system that many people use to connect their computer to the internet. In a recent tweet, he said he had to lose another 40.5lbs to reach his target weight.

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas...

That's the last time you tweet to anyone!

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