Bod Pod competition encourages Schrieverites to cut the fat

by Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke

 50th Space Wing Public Affairs 

12/28/2011 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- One of the top New Year's resolutions through the years has been to lose weight or get fit. According to Time Magazine, it's also one of the top 10 most commonly broken resolutions. The Schriever Health and Wellness Center wants to help members get a jump on keeping this year's resolution by offering a friendly competition to cut the fat. 

The 50th Space Wing Bod Pod Competition pits squadrons against each other and the unit with the greatest percentage of lost body fat wins. Participants have two weeks beginning Jan. 1 to sign up at the HAWC and get their body fat measured in the Bod Pod body fat measurement tool. Teams have to have at least five people with one person qualified to use the Bod Pod. Final measurements will be taken March 26-30 and a winning team named. 

"We really want to encourage Airmen to start off the New Year on the right foot by learning exactly where their body fat numbers are," said Christopher Woodruff, Schriever HAWC health promotions educator. "Body fat, when in reference to health, plays a big roll."

 The Bod Pod is a body composition test that uses air displacement to calculate body density and body fat. The measurements give those beginning a fitness regimen a baseline. People who exercise appropriately increase lean body mass while decreasing their overall fat level. Depending on the amount of fat loss, this can result in a loss of inches without a loss of weight, since muscle weighs more than fat. 

"The Bod Pod can accurately measure the body fat percentage lost," said Woodruff

According to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, a certain amount of body fat is necessary for everyone. Experts say that percent body fat for women should be about 20 percent and about 15 percent for men. Women with more than 30 percent body fat and men with more than 25 percent are considered obese. 

The Council also explains excess body fat has been linked to health problems such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, arthritis and certain forms of cancer.

 The HAWC won't leave potential competitors hanging. Throughout the three-month period of the competition, potential body-fat percentage busters can participate in a variety of classes offered by the HAWC and consult with HAWC staff members for more ways to safely cut fat.

In the end, participants can expect better health due to decreased body fat percentage as well as prizes for the team who is able to cut the most fat.

"Our prizes include awesome HAWC prizes and of course, increased years of life due to better health," said Woodruff. 

Potential teams should call the HAWC at 567-4292 to sign up.