Noom is a subscription-based app for tracking a person's food intake and exercise habits. The company is known for its emphasis on behavior change and

mental wellness Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

App

When creating an account, the user is asked to record information about physical factors such as weight, height, and age, as well as experiential information such as lifestyle, goals, and obstacles. Users then log their meals and exercise. In response, the app provides feedback in various ways: algorithmically, from a human coach, from other users, through articles, and through quizzes. The app has been reviewed by newspapers such as the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''; health publications such

WebMD WebMD is an American corporation known primarily as an online publisher of news and information pertaining to human health and well-being. The site includes information pertaining to drugs. It is one of the top healthcare websites. It was foun ...

; and

lifestyle magazines Lifestyle often refers to: * Lifestyle (sociology), the way a person lives * ''Otium'', ancient Roman concept of a lifestyle * Style of life (german: Lebensstil, link=no), dealing with the dynamics of personality Lifestyle may also refer to: Bus ...

such as '' Good Housekeeping.''

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 th ...

'' and based on data collected from 36,000 Noom users (78% female, 22% male) found that 78% of the users self-reported that they lost weight while using the app. The data were collected from October 2012 to April 2014, and the median number of days the users reported their weight was 267, or approximately 9 months. Only users who recorded their weight at least twice a month for 6 consecutive months were included in the study. The frequency of data input correlated positively with weight loss. There was a significant gender difference, such that male users on average reported a higher starting BMI and a greater weight loss. In 2017, the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

recognized Noom as a

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

-prevention program, the first

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

to achieve this status.

Company

Noom was founded in 2008 by friends Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong. Petakov says they wanted to combine technology and psychology. The app launched in 2016. The company is headquartered in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Petakov, previously a software engineer at

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

, is Noom's president; Jeong is the company's chief executive. In 2020, Noom generated $400 million in revenue. As of April 2021, the company says it employs 3,000 people, 2,700 of whom are coaches. In 2019, as a result of a partnership with

Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, Denmark, with production facilities in nine countries, and affiliates or offices in five countries. Novo Nordisk is controlled by majority shareholder ...

, patients taking the

medication

Saxenda Liraglutide, sold under the brand name Victoza among others, is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, obesity, and chronic weight management. In diabetes it is a less preferred agent compared to metformin. Its effects on lo ...

received free access to Noom for one year.

Criticism

In August 2020, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning to consumers about Noom's subscription fees. Customers reported finding it difficult to cancel subscriptions following the free trial period, as well as to contact the company to obtain refunds. Noom's CEO said in response that they "take each omplaintvery seriously." Noom has been criticized for promoting diet culture.

References

{{reflist Companies based in New York City Mobile applications