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FORT CARSON, COLO. -- Soldiers come out of basic training fit and ready to fight.

But, as our soldiers get older, like the rest of us, they tend to put on the pounds.

In fact, 62 percent of the Army is overweight or obese.

And, even a little extra fat isn't tolerated.

Fort Carson is trying to combat that issue through the Army Wellness Center located on the post's Resiliency Campus.

Soldiers with height-weight failure are required to go through the wellness program.

Right now, the program is focusing on the second brigade.

During the program, soldiers will go through three tests, body fat, metabolism and a physical test.

A few months ago, Sgt. Ryan Musil hit his peak weight at 235 pounds.

"I've gotten a little older, so my metabolism slowed down and I started moving a little slower," Musil said.

But the series of test have helped Musil shed the pounds.

The first test, the state-of-the-art bod pod.

Basically, this device measures a soldier's body fat.

"If you just weigh yourself on a scale, you don't know if you're gaining muscle or fat. So, what the bod pod does is breaks it down for you," said Tony Heinz a nurse educator at the Army Wellness Center.

The machine instantly prints out the soldier's results, giving them an idea of how much body fat they need to lose.

The second test is the metabolism test.

"All your vital functions are going to be measured with this test," Heinz said.

It lets the soldier know how many calories they burn on a daily basis, and how many they need to burn to drop the pounds.

The third part is the physical test.

It's based upon heart rate based upon age.

For a civilian, these three tests could cost up to $1,200 each time.

But, it's free for soldiers and their spouses at the wellness center.

Although the technology is pricey, the bod pod alone was $80,000, Heinz said it's cheaper to maintain a facility like this than it is to treat diseases that come with being overweight, like diabetes, hypertension and orthopedic injuries.

The center has only had the bod pod for about four months.

Already more than 2,000 soldiers have used the device.

And it's proven to be helpful for Sgt. Musil.

He's down to 202 right now.

Remember, he started at 235.

"Trying to get down to 185, but if I can get below that, then hey, it's a bonus."

For more information you can visit or call: 

1891 Prussman Blvd, Bldg 1843
Fort Carson, CO 80913
(719) 526-3887