Fitness entrepreneur Sam Wood adapts to GLP

Fitness entrepreneur Sam Wood has entered the telehealth arena with Ollo for Women, a new startup pairing clinical weight loss advice with old-school exercise and nutrition plans.

Backdropped by the meteoric rise of GLP-1 medications for obesity, Ollo, launched Wednesday, connects mid-life women to doctors capable of delivering personalised health advice and treatment plans.

The startup is something of a departure for Wood, who turned home workouts and meal planning into the $71 million 28 by Sam Wood business.

But Wood says after 26 years championing strength training and a healthy diet, the new tide of prescription weight loss treatments was impossible to ignore.

“It’s taken me time to change my perspective, to research it,” Wood tells SmartCompany.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with people that have just tried everything for 10, 20, 30 years, and they’re on the verge of giving up.

“And this has been the springboard that has finally changed things.”

28 by Sam Wood will continue offering training and meal plans, and its founder is conscious of those who feel Ollo is a sharp left-turn from the methods that business has preached for years.

“We have such a wonderful reputation and community, and I would never step into a new space lightly, for fear that I could ruin that incredible reputation and trust,” he said.

Focus on health, not just weight loss

Australia is already a hotbed for telehealth businesses providing access to doctors capable of prescribing GLP-1s and their equivalents.

Sydney-based Eucalyptus, perhaps the best-known name in the sector, was bought by US competitor Hims & Hers Health in February in a deal worth $1.6 billion.

Where Ollo will differ, Wood says, is its focus on long-term wellness. While its telehealth function is provided by Medmate, clients also have access to holistic training and nutrition advice through 28 by Sam Wood.

As with other telehealth platforms, medical professionals will have full discretion over treatment plans in response to each client’s individual circumstances.

Wood says maintaining muscle mass and bone density is important while undergoing dramatic weight loss, echoing other fitness professionals who call structured training essential for GLP-1 users.

“We have a nutrition team on board that’s creating recipes that are high in essential nutrients, fibre, protein,” he adds.

“Obviously, you are consuming less, so every mouthful matters, and ensuring that you’re getting those things in becomes absolutely critical.”

While Ollo has launched with a focus on weight loss and fitness, Wood says the platform, catering to women aged 40 and over, could branch into menopausal care in the future.

Corporate listings show the company behind 28 by Sam Wood registered the Arrow for Men name at the same time as Ollo for Women, and Wood confirmed a telehealth platform catering to men is in the works.

He says lessons from Ollo’s launch would inform the sibling brand, with a similar focus on long-term wellness.

Neither brand is about “trying to get 20-year-olds in shape for Ibiza… we didn’t want to be used the wrong way,” he says.

Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on LinkedIn.