This marks the ninth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
Italy once held one of the lowest obesity rates in the developed world, but that’s changing fast. CrossFit Country Manager and longtime affiliate owner Matteo Pozzati joins the show to talk about the cultural shift in Italy, the rise of chronic disease, and how CrossFit is stepping in to rebuild true health from the ground up.
Matteo shares his journey from coaching in Venice to teaching hospital workers how to move safely, leading Italy’s affiliate community, and fighting to preserve CrossFit’s identity amid the noise of mainstream fitness.
He and host Jocelyn Rylee discuss why elite coaching matters, how education is the bridge to better health, and what it’ll take to connect CrossFit affiliates and healthcare systems worldwide.
EPISODE TOPICS:
- The decline of the Mediterranean diet and rise of chronic disease in Italy
- Bringing CrossFit methodology into hospitals and health care education
- Building bridges between affiliates and medical professionals
- Preserving CrossFit’s identity and elite coaching standards
- Nutrition, culture, and the return to traditional food practices
- The global challenge of connecting CrossFit to health systems