Claim: Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of the fitness chain Curves, supports. causes. Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]. Origins: With more than 7,000 fitness and weight loss centers around the globe, Curves is the largest fitness franchise in the world. One in four health clubs in the U.S. is a Curves, a stupendous feat given that the company has only been around since 1992.