Bod Pod now available at the HAWC Published Dec. 30, 2010 By 2nd Lt. Angela Martin 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- If your New Year's resolution is to lose weight or to exercise more often, the Health and Wellness Center has plenty of resources towards meeting these goals. Laughlin's HAWC continuously offers programs for health improvement. From dieticians to exercise programs, they are always ready and willing to educate and promote healthy lifestyles. The HAWC's most recent program is the Bod Pod. The Bod Pod is a unique system that accurately measures body fat percentage using Air Displacement Plethysmogrphay. This test is similar to under water weighing; however, air is displaced rather than water. First, a person is weighed on a scale. Next, they sit in a chamber where mass is measured. In less than 10 minutes, body composition is calculated. At the end of the assessment, results are provided with body fat percentage, body fat category and an estimate of calorie needs. According to Ray Torres, HAWC Exercise Physiologist, these results allows people to see what category they fall under created by the American College of Sports Medicine and American Council on Exercise. For males, the ideal is 13 to 20 percent. Anything less than five percent or greater than 30 is considered high risk and should consult a physician. For females, the ideal is 23 to 30 percent. Anything less than 15 percent or greater than 40 percent is considered high risk and should consult a physician. Additionally, people can use these results to meet with the HAWC's registered dietician for nutritional information or the exercise physiologist for fitness information. These two resources can help people reach their personnel goals. "The HAWC is truly a one stop shop to help improve your overall health. In addition to the Bod Pod, HAWC will be adding the Gait Analysis System in 2011, which assists people with determining proper foot wear, improper gait, ad muscle imbalances in the leg," said Torres. Appointments for the Bod Pod are available on Monday and Wednesday at the HAWC. If you are ready to take advantage of the Bod Pod, or are curious about other programs HAWC has to offer, call 298-6464.