Issue No. 308: Fresh Start
Elevate your run with Centr’s new treadmills.
A bad diet is the lead domino.
Overserved
Fake food is a real problem.
- Americans consume ~3.6K calories per day, with >20% coming from snacks.
- ~60% of caloric intake comes from ultra-processed food, a figure higher in children.
- Only 12% eat enough fruit and 10% enough vegetables.
A bright spot, obesity declined for the first time in a decade, a trend attributed to GLP-1 usage. But, some experts are skeptical of the data.
Fixed. Engineered to addict, calorie-, sugar-, and sodium-rich diets dysregulate hunger signals.
Reconditioning, GLP-1s chemically induce impulse control, making people feel full while dulling junk food’s dopamine hits and reducing “food noise.” With altered taste and mindset, many also trade up on quality, fueling an uptick in healthy grocery sales.
But, despite their effectiveness, GLP-1s don’t cure systemic causes of disordered eating. Worse, with ads selling weight loss over health, they’re fueling obsession with thinness.
Absorbing media chatter, over 30% of Gen Z and millennials say just knowing Ozempic exists adds pressure around weight loss, while 80% of 10-year-old girls admit dieting to slim down.
Empty Calories
Lost among weight loss’s moral debate: a broken food system wrecked our eating habits.
Once a cornerstone of human connection, meals have become a source of guilt and stress. And making calories the enemy fails to distinguish food from nutrition, when science shows there’s a big difference.
- Processed foods are less satiating than whole foods, leading to higher caloric intake.
- Eating more fruit/veg boosts happiness and cognition, with UPFs the inverse.
- Harmful health effects increase with the degree of processing.
And unlike UPFs, real food can be enjoyed without fear of rewiring the brain.
Healing America’s eating habits, companies are helping consumers reframe their relationship with food — emphasizing quality over quantity.
Mood food. Prescribed nutritious meals, a third of adults with depression entered remission while cutting weekly food spend by 20%.
Advancing metabolic psychiatry, Meru helps control appetite with mood-regulating meals. Resetting values, Fay tackles eating disorders and body image with an intuitive approach.
Chef’s table. Home cooks eat healthier and fewer calories, but 56% struggle with basic recipes, and 33% say they have <30 minutes to prep and eat.
Lending a hand, Kroger partnered with bitewell to score the nutrient density of shoppers’ carts, Hungryroot curates healthy choices, and Little Lunches’ algorithm makes sure kids get well-fed.
Meanwhile, Homemade landed $1.5M for prescribed culinary courses, Zest gamifies leveling up in the kitchen, and ButcherBox acquired Truffle Shuffle to make healthy cooking fun.
Dinner party. Disengaged from relationships and shared culture, those who routinely eat alone are at higher risk of heart disease and metabolic dysfunction.
Reviving commensality around real food, supper clubs like Dinner with Friends connect strangers over a home-cooked meal. Reconvening in the dining room, Everytable added affordable, scratch-made family-style fare.
Takeaway: Weight loss is emotional, but finding pleasure in eating is instinctively human. As GLP-1s release people from toxic food’s grip, it’s time to rethink what we’ve lost along the way.
🎙 On the Podcast
Canyon Ranch CEO Mark Rivers discusses the brand’s expansion strategy.
Diversifying its portfolio with member clubs, residences, and medical services, Canyon Ranch is evolving from pioneering resort to comprehensive health and wellness brand.
We also cover: The company’s approach to longevity and innovation, and why it’s doubling down on human connection.
Listen to today’s episode here.
📱 Apple pilots glucose tracking app
The tech giant recruited employees to secretly test an app for prediabetes management — pairing CGMs with food logging and lifestyle coaching features.
Top secret. While the app won’t be released, the project signals the company’s continued interest in glucose monitoring and health solutions.
Innovating across its ecosystem, Apple debuted relevant Watch updates in June and added sleep apnea detection in September, along with a clinical-grade Hearing Aid feature for AirPods.
Keeping track. With GLP-1 use ramping up and effective off-ramps lacking, metabolic health has become a major focus for wearables.
Seeing consumer demand, Oura acquired Veri and added a photo-analyzing meal log feature last month, while Dexcom and Abbott each debuted over the counter offerings for non-insulin users.
Streamlining hardware, Biolinq landed $58M in April for its barely-there biosensor measuring blood sugar, sleep, and activity tracking. Sans device, January AI continues to scale a suite of predictive software alternatives.
Looking ahead: Apple sees noninvasive monitoring as the holy grail, but while that tech develops, it’s exploring strategies to cash in on an impending metabolic health boom.
🏃 Equipment for the Long Run
Level up home workouts with Centr’s cutting-edge cardio machines.
Style. Designed to elevate your run and your space, Centr’s sleek treadmills flow seamlessly in any room.
Substance. Feel the difference on your feet with innovative Natural Stride Technology — adjusting to your every move for a personalized feather-light feel.
Support. With a free Centr App membership included, you’ll gain access to wellness coaching and content from Chris Hemsworth’s team of expert trainers.
Run with confidence knowing every machine is engineered for longevity, powered by an energy-efficient motor and backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Step onto a Centr Treadmill and run toward the future of fitness.
💪 Community-based workouts get a boost
SweatPals, a fitness events platform, raised $3M led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Pear VC.
Squad up. Helping users discover local activities while streamlining logistics for organizers, the company has expanded to 16 cities, hosting 5K events and 150K attendees — from group walks, runs, and workouts to larger festivals.
Sweat x socialize. Craving community, exercisers are sweating together, and tech platforms are playing connector.
- Strava grew subscriptions 20% YoY through H1’24, topping 125M users.
- Scaling endurance events, Movemint closed pre-seed funding, while Let’s Do This managed the London Marathon’s record-breaking ’25 sign-ups.
- Break Sports, creator of racket sports matchmaking platform Break the Love, entered golf this spring.
Takeaway: Scaling up, SweatPals is targeting a presence in every major US city by the end of ’25. Leaning in, health and fitness operators must update their community playbook to maximize impact.
📰 News & Notes
- HYROX announces 2025 fitness race in Mumbai.
- Technogym opens flagship wellness hub in London.
- London’s 1Rebel debuts in-house contrast therapy concept.
- Calm teams with TRIP on a functional mindfulness beverage.
- Ezra, Bryan Johnson partner on comprehensive longevity scan.
- January AI unveils app upgrades and Apple HealthKit integration.
- Erewhon partners with Postmates for organic kids meal deliveries.
- McLaren unveils state-of-the-art mental and physical training center.
- Fred Fitness taps EGYM for AI-powered gym concept in LA, opening 2025.
- Feed.fm drops report detailing music’s impact on fitness app engagement.
- SleepScore Labs launches B2B, AI-powered platform for sleep health optimization.
- Centr announces premium at-home cardio equipment and digital running programs.
- Hiring? We connect health and wellness companies with exceptional talent from Fitt’s inner circle.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Keurig Dr Pepper acquired zero-sugar energy drink brand GHOST.
Social fitness app SweatPals secured $3M in a round led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Pear VC.
Mediterranean fast-casual chain Brassica received an undisclosed investment from Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Cultivate Next venture fund.
Absolute Health & Performance (dba BodySpec), operator of DEXA scan clinics, raised $4M.
Crypto-rewarding step tracking app Moonwalk Fitness added $3.4M in a seed round led by Hack VC.
Caldera + Lab, a high-performance skincare brand for men, raised $6M in a Series A round.
Florida-based hot yoga chain Yoga Joint raised $12M to push expansion.
Drumroll, a better-for-you refrigerated donut brand, received a $3M investment from CPG incubator 7 Mile Brands.
TrainingPeaks acquired virtual cycling platform indieVelo, rebranding the service to TrainingPeaks Virtual.
Europe 🇪🇺
Dutch gym operator Urban Gym Group acquired UK chain Gymbox.
UK events organizer Hyve Group acquired healthcare innovation summit HLTH Inc.
Swiss high-performance sportswear brand X-BIONIC landed an undisclosed investment from Olympic skier Marco Odermatt.
German gym operator LifeFit Group acquired 15 clubs from MyLifeStyleClub GmbH, including Body Culture, Fitnessfabrik, Amanusa, and Intenso brands.
UK-based supplements maker Heights raised over £2M ($2.6M) in crowdfunding.
ARTAH, UK-based provider of supplements and nutrition programs, added £2.85M ($3.7M).
Asia 🌏
Indian AI health & fitness platform Healthify (fka HealthifyMe) secured $20M in a round led by Khosla Ventures and LeapFrog Investments to enter the US.
World Gym Taiwan, World Gym’s largest franchisee, acquired World Gym International for $9M, obtaining operating rights for 271 global locations.
Australia 🇦🇺 / New Zealand 🇳🇿
Alimetry, an NZ-based startup developing next-gen diagnostics for GI disorders, closed a $30M Series A round led by GD1.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
