Meta pauses VR fitness, Sam Altman backs brain tech, Gen Z wants IRL wellness

January 21, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Eventbrite reports 79% of Gen Z and millennials plan to attend more in-person events in 2026, gravitating toward spontaneous formats like run clubs and sauna raves over curated programming

• Meta puts Supernatural VR fitness app into maintenance mode, ending new content after layoffs and strategic shift toward AI, signaling broader risk for VR fitness category

• Merge Labs, co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, raises $252M to develop brain-computer interfaces starting with medical applications before expanding to consumer use

• Cream Co. Meats raises $8M to connect consumers with regenerative ranchers as concern over pesticides drives shift toward nutrient-dense animal protein and transparency

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