Food as Medicine

How Central Garden & Pet Changed the Trajectory of Employee Health One Bite at a Time

Metabite

August 11, 2025

Executive Summary

Traditional corporate wellness has failed to move the needle on America’s chronic disease crisis. But one self-insured employer decided to try something radically different. Central Garden & Pet (CGP), facing soaring healthcare costs and low employee engagement, piloted an intensive therapeutic lifestyle change program (ITLCP): PLANTSTRONG powered by Metabite. The result? Employees reversed diabetes and hypertension, lost weight, reduced medication use, and asked for more. This success story explores the CGP journey and how their leadership may be a roadmap for other employers.

A Legacy of Health: Why Central Acted 

When Central Garden & Pet Chairman Bill Brown asked what kind of legacy he wanted to leave his workforce, he chose to prioritize their health. The wellness status quo—apps, gym reimbursements, and low-impact incentives—wasn't working. With healthcare spend as the second-largest corporate expense after salaries, CGP took action. The company partnered with PLANTSTRONG powered by Metabite to bring a Food as Medicine solution directly to its employees.

The Intervention: A Real Program for Real People

The PLANTSTRONG by Metabite model centers around a 12-week, nationwide program that delivers:

  • Shelf-stable, medically tailored pantry kits
  • AI-based mobile app with customized large language model (LLM), image recognition for food images and customer branding
  • Daily coaching using multiple behavior change models empowering employees to make changes at a pace that is sustainable for them
  • Short video lessons each week explaining the science behind the benefits of real food rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins
  • At-home biometric testing and connected devices
  • A supportive peer community

This was not an ordinary corporate wellness program. It was a high-touch, high-engagement, therapeutic intervention grounded in clinical evidence—and it reached employees from the South to the West Coast with culturally sensitive, accessible materials.

“I lost 20 pounds, got off my statin, and reduced my insulin.”

- Charles

Outcomes That Matter - employees benefitted from:

  • Reversal of pre-diabetes and diabetes in participants.
  • Average weight loss of 4.4% among those overweight or obese, with 72% losing weight.
    • 30+ lbs weight loss in multiple cases
  • Reduced or eliminated type 2 diabetes, cholesterol lowering, and high blood pressure medication.
  • 75% achieved clinically relevant cholesterol improvement, as much as 23% drop in LDL.*
  • Significant blood pressure improvements that required participants to stop or reduce medications to avoid side effects of being overmedicated. 
  • Enthusiastic engagement with >5% of employees enrolled, with many being recruited by voluntary program ambassadors.

Extraordinary Net Promoter Score of 76 (Industry Average 50-70*) and employee demand for a continuation program

“I was doing Weight Watchers at the same time and honestly, I liked this program better.”

- Lisa M.

Want to Learn More?

If you're part of a health system, employer, or research group looking to improve outcomes through nutrition, we’d love to connect.
Request a Demo
Request a Demo
Icon ArrowIcon Arrow

Transform Health Outcomes with Metabite

Ready to drive real change in nutrition and behavior? Whether you're a healthcare provider, employer, or researcher, Metabite’s AI-powered solutions help you achieve measurable, lasting results. Let’s build a healthier future—one bite at a time.
Request a Demo
Request a Demo
Metabite Logo
Metabite leverages AI-driven insights and human coaching to transform eating habits, improving health outcomes at both individual and population levels.