Celebrity trainer Sam Wood has addressed criticism surrounding his new business venture, OLLO for Women, which he launched into the medical weight loss industry. Wood, known for his fitness empire "28 by Sam Wood," defended his decision, stating that it stems from years of working with individuals struggling with weight loss.
Wood acknowledged that his new venture might be "polarizing" but asserted that his motivation is to help people. "I didn't launch OLLO to make money," he said on Instagram Stories. "I launched OLLO because I'm in a position every single day and have been for 25 years where I talk to people who are not winning this battle against losing weight and they need help."
He shared a message stating, "When you try to keep everyone happy, the person that often isn't happy is you." Wood added, "I'm happy when I follow my purpose and help people. There's going to be people scanning and looking for reasons to get upset. That's a them problem, not a me problem."
Wood announced the launch of OLLO for Women earlier in the week during an appearance on the "Fascinated" podcast. He explained that the decision was a significant shift from his previous stance on weight loss, which emphasized exercise and willpower. However, he noted that the rapid evolution of medical weight loss treatments like peptides and GLP-1 medications could not be ignored.
"The evolution of this medical space is quite mind-blowing; it isn't going anywhere and is too hard to ignore," Wood stated. OLLO for Women is a program specifically for women.
The trainer's move has drawn mixed reactions. While some supporters applauded his adaptation to new medical approaches and his understanding that some individuals require medical assistance, others expressed disappointment. Critics questioned whether the venture contradicted his established message of healthy living and expressed concerns about the long-term implications and accessibility of medical weight loss drugs, particularly for those without a clear medical indication.
One follower wrote, "This is really disappointing... It feels like we've gone from promoting health to selling weight loss. That's disappointing." Another commented, "So he doesn't believe in the need for GLP-1s for weight loss and will likely judge people for not having enough willpower, but he'll also make money off it all. It's a no from me."