HAWC searches for 'Biggest Loser'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Abigail Klein
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  As their hearts race and the anticipation begins, 120 members of McConnell leapt at the chance to become the Health and Wellness Center's 'Biggest Loser,' Jan. 24, 2011.

The competition, which will last eight weeks, includes active duty Airmen of all ranks and squadrons representing the following squadrons: McConnell's Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Civil Engineer Squadron, Communications Squadron, Contracting Squadron, two teams from 22nd Force Support Squadron, Maintenance Squadron, Maintenance Operations Squadron, Medical Operations Squadron, Medical Support Squadron, 349th Air Refueling Squadron and the 384th ARS.

Each squadron's team consists of ten members, one member acting as the team coach. Squadrons with more than 200 Airmen were allowed to have more than one team. The teams are meant to keep each other motivated, as well as guide their teammates, said Laura Markuly, 22nd AMDS exercise physiologist and fitness educator.

The participants were required to perform a scan by the HAWC's Bod Pod. The Bod Pod measures body fat by using the whole-body measurement principle used in underwater weighing, measuring a person's mass and volume. By doing this, a person's whole-body density is determined and then is used to calculate body fat and lean muscle mass.

"The Bod Pod is more effective than the weight scale because when gaining muscle, you may not see the pounds drop, but with the Bod Pod, [participants] are able to see if their body fat has dropped," said Ms. Markuly.

One participant, Tech. Sgt. Tennille Benton, 22nd Force Support Squadron Fitness NCOIC, was impressed by the machines accuracy.

"It's an interesting way to know where you're are at [with fitness]," she said. "You can get on the scale and say, 'I need to lose 20 pounds,' but to actually see the percentage of body fat and how much you need to lose is eye opening."

The measurement that each contestant receives from the Bod Pod and the weigh-in will both be calculated for each team's final score.

The competition requires no weekly "weigh-ins," as is usually the custom in these competitions, but the HAWC staff does provide team members with weekly fitness challenges and nutritional information to aid in their success.

Sergeant Benton's team, has decided to keep food logs and diaries in addition to attending daily "Boot Camp" workouts at the fitness center.

At the conclusion of the competition, each contestant will participate in a three-mile walk. Each team member is only allowed to go as fast as their slowest person during the walk. The results of this challenge, and the points for the percentage of weight lost as a team, will be calculated together to find out which team lost the most weight.

With the group effort of the teams, the motivation the teams provide and the use of the Bod Pod, Ms. Markuly and other members of the HAWC are hopeful of the results

"With the Bod Pod results, I think more people are realizing that they are not in as great shape as they thought they were in, hopefully this is motivation for them to take care of themselves," she said.

Editor's note: This is the first article in a series about the HAWC's 'Biggest Loser' competition.