Even the troops are counting calories these days

Apparently, some of our nation's soldiers are conscious of their figures.
According to a recent Stars and Stripes article, military stores are preparing to offer two new sugar-free electrolyte replacement tablets - which help replenish water, sweat and minerals lost through sweat. Still confused? Well, picture a sugar-free tablet-form version of Gatorade.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service has reached agreements with military equipment supplier CamelBak and a small, independent company called Nuun to carry the effervescent tablets, which were initially created in 2002 for the endurance athlete market.
Military officials claim the low-calorie versions will better serve soldiers for a variety of reasons, which are not all weight-related. Because the tablets don’t contain sugar — which grows fungus if not thoroughly washed out of containers — they are particularly suited for use in portable hydration devices. They are also packaged in sturdy, plastic tubes that fit into cargo pants, eliminating the messy spill that powders can cause.
And then, there's the weight thing. Because some military jobs require troops to stationary for long periods of time, these tablets prove a convenient alternative to enhanced hydration without the concern of packing on sugar-related pounds.
CamelBak's product - the sucralose-sweetened Elixir - was optimized for use in both training and combat. The company tailored each tablet to mix specifically with the exact amount of water in a CamelBak portable hydration bladder. Although currently available only in lemon-lime, company representatives say they will soon be unveiling new flavors.