For the record, superlatives in marketing materials instantly trigger my Skept-o-Meter. It’s rare that a company can truly lay claim to being “first” or “best” or “only.” So I almost stopped reading the press release about the French product MyBiody Balance when I read this line: “the world’s most accurate and complete connected wellness 2.0 device.” (The strange spelling of the product name didn’t help any, either.)

I went ahead and checked out the product website, and while it is somewhat less than the breathless claims might imply, it does have some interesting features. Basically, it’s a small device that you hold against your ankle, and it proceeds to measure four items: body fat, muscle mass, bone mineral content and hydration. This certainly can be useful information, especially to track the progress toward a weight loss goal.

According to the press release, the technology has been used “in the medical sector” for 10 years. Described as a “multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis devices,” it apparently works by taking measurements from mild electrical currents sent through the tissues of your ankle. This information is then sent to your smartphone using a wireless Bluetooth connection, where it is sent to the cloud for storage, analysis, and reporting. While this may not make it the “most complete connected wellness device,” it could still be a useful tool alongside other biometric devices.