-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Behalf Of Bill Hooper
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 02:45
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:28895] Re: Doctors' scales
My doctor's scale (here in Florida, USA) is a dual (switchable) digital
scale. A my recent visit last week, the nurse asked me to step on the
scale so she could determine my weight. The scale was set to read
pounds and the nurse recorded that value. I looked for, and easily
found, a button labeled "lb/kg" which, of course, I pushed, saying
something like "Let's see what that is in kilograms". The reading
changed immediately to kilograms (75 kg, in case you're interested).
The nurse looked at that reading without comment but did not mark it
down.
I courteously pressed the little button again to switch it back to
pounds. Afterward I said to myself: "Why the hell did I do that?"
I guess this confirms that doctor's in the US are not yet doing much of
weighing patients in kilograms, but it appears they have the equipment
to make the change easily any time they want to.
Regards,
Bill Hooper
Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA
PS May I suggest to us all that when we report things like "how it's
done here where I live" that you remind us where you live.
Hi Bill and group:
The Scales at your Doctors office seem to have the ability to read both LB or kg.
In addition to Doctors offices the use of dual reading scales reach into just about any market that sells product by weight in the US market.
Personally have been employed to convert, upgrade, instal and service devices that read booth kg/LB as set forth by the guide lines and standards enforced by the Bureau of Weights and Measures.
Given the facts as I see them people still have a choice to use LB or kg and more often choose LB in this county. I would argue that knowledge or lack of is the key factor during LB/kg choice making.
If interested.
Point of argument 1: look for "any" information about the very first place holder in decimal use.
Ask high school teachers if they even know what .0 stands for.
My efforts to find any use of deci in today's world has left me with an understanding that deci just doesn't seem important enough to teach, use or even talk about. I recognized this void of information during grade school years ago and even see this void in today's local high school's class rooms. I was surprised to see that there are some equations
where deci is squared.
In comparison the monetary system we use in the Us has pennies, nickels dimes and sow on. Imagine the confusion if we never learned what a penny was. The monetary system would suffer great confusion.
My views hopefully are subject to change as I learn.
Feel free to enlighten me as I to can feel the metric void.
Thanks
Tim Moylan
--- Begin Message ---Gaithersburg, Maryland, home of NIST: 1. My doctor's office (Kaiser). Balance scales are in lb. Baby scale can have the balance flipped over to read kg. Conversion chart on wall (lb to kg) next to stand up scale. Mommies all want the weight in lb. For anyone older than a baby, nurses write it that way.2. Vet's office. Scale is dual, controlled by a switch. Vet assistant wants it in lb and oz and gets irritated if you want it the other way. Wonder how they dose the medicine. A long way to go still. Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Bill Hooper Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 02:45 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:28895] Re: Doctors' scales My doctor's scale (here in Florida, USA) is a dual (switchable) digital scale. A my recent visit last week, the nurse asked me to step on the scale so she could determine my weight. The scale was set to read pounds and the nurse recorded that value. I looked for, and easily found, a button labeled "lb/kg" which, of course, I pushed, saying something like "Let's see what that is in kilograms". The reading changed immediately to kilograms (75 kg, in case you're interested). The nurse looked at that reading without comment but did not mark it down. I courteously pressed the little button again to switch it back to pounds. Afterward I said to myself: "Why the hell did I do that?" I guess this confirms that doctor's in the US are not yet doing much of weighing patients in kilograms, but it appears they have the equipment to make the change easily any time they want to. Regards, Bill Hooper Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA PS May I suggest to us all that when we report things like "how it's done here where I live" that you remind us where you live.
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