Lindora

In 1971, Dr. Marshall Stamper, a primary-care physician, established the first Lindora clinic in Southern California. Motivated by his mother's death from complications related to obesity, Stamper shifted his focus to bariatrics, the medical treatment of obesity. The founding principle was that managing weight could prevent or even cure certain diseases. Lindora pioneered a medically-guided approach, combining nutrition, lifestyle changes, and eventually the latest in weight loss medications. The business grew steadily, and by 1988, Stamper sold the practice to his children, with his daughter, Cynthia Stamper Graff, eventually becoming CEO in 1991. She professionalized her father's practice, expanding the number of clinics and introducing nutritional products. For decades, Lindora operated as a regional chain of clinics, building a reputation in Southern California for its holistic and medically supervised weight management programs. A pivotal chapter began in late 2023 when Xponential Fitness, a global franchisor of boutique wellness brands, announced its agreement to acquire Lindora. The deal, which closed in early 2024, aimed to transform Lindora from a regional player into a national and global franchise. Xponential acquired Lindora’s intellectual property and its 31 clinics, with plans to leverage its franchising expertise to scale the brand. This acquisition signaled a major shift in the wellness industry, merging boutique fitness with medical services like GLP-1 medications, hormone therapy, and IV hydration.