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Noom is an American privately held company that provides
weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat (adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other conn ...
, fitness, and
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
services through a subscription-based
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...
. Founded in 2008, Noom combines digital health tools with an emphasis on behavior change and psychological principles to promote long-term lifestyle adjustments. The platform incorporates elements of
cognitive behavioral therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression, PTSD, and anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and chang ...
(CBT) and goal-setting strategies, and its programs are designed to support users in developing healthier habits. In addition to its weight management services, Noom has expanded to offer products related to stress management and general wellness. Noom has received both praise and criticism. Supporters cite its focus on mental and behavioral aspects of health, while critics have raised concerns about the accuracy of its calorie goals, the use of algorithmically determined weight loss targets, and questions about the qualifications of some of its coaching staff.


History

Noom was founded in 2008 by friends
Artem Petakov Artem (, ) is a male given name of Greek origin, especially common in Ukraine and Russia. It is also used in Armenian with the variant of Ardem in Western Armenian. Artyom (Артём), the Russian version of the name, is often romanized as Arte ...
and
Saeju Jeong Jeong Saeju (; born 1981) is an American entrepreneur and a co-founder, chairman, and the former CEO of Noom, a weight loss company. Early life and education Jeong was born in 1981, in South Korea, to a family of doctors. In 2001, he founded B ...
. The company's mobile app officially launched in 2016. Noom is headquartered in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Petakov, a former software engineer at
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
, currently leads Noom Ventures, while Jeong serves as Noom’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2020, Noom reported $400 million in revenue. As of April 2021, the company stated it employed approximately 3,000 people, including 2,700 coaches. In 2019, Noom partnered with
Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, with production facilities in nine countries and affiliates or offices in five. Novo Nordisk is controlled by majority shareholder Novo Holdings A/S ...
to offer patients prescribed the diabetes medication
Saxenda Liraglutide, sold under the brand name Victoza among others, is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat type2 diabetes, and chronic obesity. It is a second-line therapy for diabetes following first-line therapy with metformin. Its effects ...
one year of free access to the Noom platform.


Services


Noom App

The Noom app is the primary platform through which users engage with the company's services. Upon creating an account, users are prompted to provide physical information such as weight, height, and age, along with experiential data including lifestyle habits, personal goals, and perceived obstacles. Users log their meals and physical activity, and in return, the app delivers feedback through multiple channels: algorithmically generated insights, guidance from a human coach, peer interaction, educational articles, and interactive quizzes. The app has been reviewed by a range of media outlets, including newspapers such as the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' and ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''; health information sources such as
WebMD WebMD is an American corporation which publishes online news and information about human health and well-being. The WebMD website also includes information about drugs and is an important healthcare information website and the most popular cons ...
; and lifestyle magazines including ''
Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American lifestyle media brand that covers a wide range of topics from home decor and renovation, health, beauty and food, to entertainment, pets and gifts. The Good Housekeeping Institute which opened its "Experiment ...
''.


Other services

In 2024, Noom launched ''Noom Vibe'', a mobile application that encourages users to develop healthy habits by awarding "vibes"—a form of points—for activities such as walking or meeting step goals. That same year, Noom introduced a
3D body scanning 3D body scanning is an application of various technologies such as structured-light 3D scanner, 3D depth sensing, stereoscopic vision and others for ergonomic and anthropometric investigation of the human form as a point-cloud. The technology ...
feature within its app, designed to help users monitor physical changes and prevent
muscle atrophy Muscle atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass. It can be caused by immobility, aging, malnutrition, medications, or a wide range of injuries or diseases that impact the musculoskeletal or nervous system. Muscle atrophy leads to muscle weakne ...
during weight loss. Also in 2024, Noom began offering a compounded
GLP-1 Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a 30- or 31-amino-acid-long peptide hormone deriving from tissue-specific posttranslational processing of the proglucagon peptide. It is produced and secreted by intestinal enteroendocrine L-cells and certai ...
medication as part of its weight management program. The formulation includes the same active ingredient found in the anti-obesity medications Wegovy and
Ozempic Semaglutide is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. It is a peptide similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), modified with a s ...
.


Research

In 2016, a study published in ''
Scientific Reports ''Scientific Reports'' is a peer-reviewed open-access scientific mega journal published by Nature Portfolio, covering all areas of the natural sciences. The journal was established in 2011. The journal states that their aim is to assess solely ...
'' analyzed data from approximately 36,000 users of the Noom app, of whom 78% were female and 22% male. The data were collected between October 2012 and April 2014. To be included in the analysis, users had to log their weight at least twice per month over a period of six consecutive months. The study found that 78% of participants self-reported weight loss while using the app. The median duration of weight reporting was 267 days (approximately nine months). The frequency of data logging was positively correlated with weight loss. Additionally, male users had a higher average starting BMI and reported greater average weight loss compared to female users. In 2017, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...
(CDC) recognized Noom as a certified
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
prevention program, making it the first mobile health application to receive such designation.


Criticisms


Health programs

Noom has been criticized for promoting elements of
diet culture Diet culture refers to a common set of trends and norms that may specifically affect those undertaking dieting or monitoring their caloric or nutritional intake. It often describes a set of societal beliefs pertaining to food and body image, prim ...
in its advertising campaigns. The app has also faced criticism for setting calorie goals that some users and experts have deemed inappropriately low, and for employing coaches who may lack formal qualifications as registered dietitians. Coaching has been described as relying heavily on
canned response Canned responses are predetermined responses to common questions. In fields such as technical support, canned responses to frequently asked questions may be an effective solution for both the customer and the technical adviser, as they offer the ...
s. Upon sign-up, users are prompted to complete a questionnaire consisting of over 50 questions, which is used to generate a personalized program. In 2021, the UK-based organization
Privacy International Privacy International (PI) is a UK-based registered charity that defends and promotes the right to privacy across the world. First formed in 1990, registered as a non-profit company in 2002 and as a charity in 2012, PI is based in London. Its ...
alleged that Noom, along with other diet platforms, used such lengthy surveys to attract users but did not always tailor the resulting programs to the collected data. The organization claimed that many users received the same or highly similar programs regardless of their answers. It also raised concerns about the handling of potentially sensitive
health data Health data is any data "related to health conditions, reproductive outcomes, Cause of death, causes of death, and Quality of life (healthcare), quality of life" for an individual or population. Health data includes clinical metrics ...
, alleging a lack of transparency regarding the sharing of such data with third parties, including
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
, potentially in violation of the European
General Data Protection Regulation The General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), abbreviated GDPR, is a European Union regulation on information privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The GDPR is an important component of ...
(GDPR). In a follow-up investigation in 2023, Privacy International reported that Noom had made "significant positive changes" to its data handling practices. However, the organization noted that data was still being shared with Facebook and concluded that "there is still room for improvement."


Billing issues lawsuit

In August 2020, the
Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an American private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 92 independently incorporated local BBB organizati ...
(BBB) issued a warning to consumers regarding Noom's subscription practices. The BBB reported that numerous customers had filed complaints about difficulties canceling their subscriptions after the free trial period, as well as challenges in contacting the company to request refunds. In February 2022, Noom agreed to a $62 million settlement in a
class-action lawsuit A class action is a form of lawsuit. Class Action may also refer to: * ''Class Action'' (film), 1991, starring Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio * Class Action (band), a garage house band * "Class Action" (''Teenage Robot''), a 2002 e ...
that alleged the company had used deceptive billing practices related to automatic subscription renewals. Qualifying claimants received approximately $167 each. During the case, a former senior software engineer at Noom testified that the cancellation process was intentionally designed to be difficult, with the goal of generating revenue from customers who failed to cancel in time. In response, Noom stated that it had taken steps to improve transparency around its pricing and policies, including the implementation of self-service cancellation tools.


See also

*
List of diets An individual's Diet (nutrition), diet is the sum of food and drink that one habitually consumes. Dieting is the practice of attempting to achieve or maintain a certain weight through diet. People's dietary choices are often affected by a variet ...


References

{{reflist Companies based in New York City Mobile applications Diets Weight loss companies 2008 establishments in New York City