Noom

Noom is an American privately held digital health company best known for its subscription-based mobile application for weight management and behavior change. The company was founded in 2008 by Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong, friends whose backgrounds combined software engineering and digital entrepreneurship. Noom’s original proposition was to treat weight management as a behavioral and psychological challenge rather than as a short-term diet alone. Its programs combine food and activity logging, educational content, goal setting, algorithmically generated feedback, human coaching, and peer interaction. The Noom app became the company’s primary consumer platform after its official launch in 2016. New users complete an onboarding questionnaire covering physical characteristics, lifestyle, goals, and perceived barriers. The resulting program typically asks users to record meals, exercise, body weight, and related habits. Noom’s educational approach draws in part on cognitive behavioral therapy, habit formation, and motivational techniques. Food guidance has historically used a color-based classification system intended to help users consider energy density and portion choices rather than treating foods as categorically forbidden. Noom grew rapidly as a direct-to-consumer subscription service and later expanded beyond its original app-based weight-management offering. Its business has included behavioral health and wellness programs, partnerships connected to prescription weight-loss treatment, dietary supplements, and newer digital features. In 2017, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognized Noom as a certified diabetes prevention program, making it the first mobile health application to receive that designation according to the company’s Wikipedia profile. In 2019, Noom partnered with Novo Nordisk to provide people prescribed Saxenda with one year of access to the Noom platform. In 2024, the company introduced Noom Vibe, a habit-oriented application that awards points for activities such as walking and achieving step goals. It also added a three-dimensional body-scanning feature intended to help users observe physical changes during weight loss and monitor possible muscle loss. During the same year, Noom began offering compounded GLP-1 medication within its weight-management program. Noom has positioned itself at the intersection of consumer technology, preventive health, nutrition education, and behavioral science. Supporters have highlighted its emphasis on sustainable habits and psychological factors, while critics have questioned the accuracy and appropriateness of some calorie targets, the use of algorithmically generated weight-loss goals, the qualifications and training of certain coaches, and the extent to which coaching relies on standardized responses. Privacy advocates have also examined the company’s handling of sensitive health information and the transparency of data sharing with third parties. The company has experienced both commercial growth and public scrutiny. Noom reported $400 million in revenue for 2020 and stated in April 2021 that it employed approximately 3,000 people, including about 2,700 coaches. Those figures are historical company-reported information rather than current financial guidance. In 2022, Noom agreed to a $62 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging deceptive automatic-renewal and subscription-cancellation practices. Noom said it had improved pricing disclosures and introduced self-service cancellation tools. In 2023, Privacy International acknowledged significant positive changes in Noom’s data practices while continuing to identify areas for improvement. In 2025, the company moved its headquarters from New York City to Princeton, New Jersey. Geoff Cook became chief executive in 2023, while co-founder Saeju Jeong serves as chairman and co-founder Artem Petakov leads Noom Ventures.

Noom was established in 2008 by Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong. The founders developed the company around the idea that long-term weight management depends on changing routines, decision-making patterns, and psychological responses, not simply prescribing a restrictive menu. Petakov had worked as a software engineer at Google, while Jeong brought an entrepreneurial and technology background. Their approach placed Noom within the emerging digital-health sector, where mobile software could collect behavioral information and deliver recurring guidance at scale. The company’s principal mobile application officially launched in 2016. The app asks users to provide physical information such as age, height, and weight, as well as information about lifestyle, goals, and perceived obstacles. Users then receive a structured program involving food and activity logging, educational articles, quizzes, algorithmic recommendations, goal setting, and interactions with a coach or peer community. Noom’s methodology incorporates concepts associated with cognitive behavioral therapy and habit formation. Its food-classification system and educational materials have been designed to encourage users to think about nutritional density, portions, frequency, and context rather than relying solely on lists of permitted and prohibited foods. Noom’s growth was driven largely by subscription sales and digital marketing. The company expanded its proposition from a weight-loss application into a broader health and wellness platform. Its services have included behavioral-health content, stress-management tools, coaching, diabetes-prevention programming, dietary supplements, and partnerships associated with prescription weight-loss drugs. In 2017, the CDC recognized Noom as a certified diabetes prevention program. In 2019, Noom partnered with Novo Nordisk to give patients prescribed Saxenda one year of access to the Noom platform, connecting the company’s behavioral program with pharmaceutical treatment. The company also became the subject of academic and public evaluation. A 2016 study published in Scientific Reports analyzed data from approximately 36,000 Noom users who had recorded their weight at least twice monthly for six consecutive months. The researchers reported that 78 percent of participants self-reported weight loss and found a positive relationship between logging frequency and reported weight loss. The study’s sample was predominantly female, and its results concerned app users meeting the study’s logging criteria; they should not be treated as a universal measure of Noom’s effectiveness. Noom reported $400 million in revenue for 2020. In April 2021, the company said it employed approximately 3,000 people, including around 2,700 coaches. During this period, the company’s scale and direct-to-consumer model attracted increased scrutiny. Critics argued that some calorie targets could be too low for certain users and questioned whether all coaches had the credentials expected of registered dietitians. Other criticism focused on standardized or scripted coaching responses and advertising that some observers viewed as reinforcing diet culture. Privacy and subscription practices became major areas of controversy. In 2020, the Better Business Bureau warned consumers after receiving complaints about free-trial conversions, automatic renewals, cancellation difficulties, and refunds. In 2021, Privacy International examined the company’s lengthy onboarding questionnaire and argued that the resulting plans were not always as individualized as the questionnaire implied. The organization also questioned the transparency of sharing potentially sensitive health information with third parties, including Facebook, in relation to European data-protection requirements. Privacy International’s 2023 follow-up recognized substantial improvements while stating that further work remained necessary. In February 2022, Noom agreed to a $62 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging deceptive subscription-renewal and cancellation practices. A former senior software engineer testified during the proceedings that the cancellation process had been intentionally made difficult, an allegation associated with the litigation rather than an uncontested description of company policy. Noom said it had taken steps to improve the clarity of prices and subscription terms and had introduced self-service cancellation tools. Leadership and product scope subsequently changed. Geoff Cook became chief executive in 2023, while Saeju Jeong served as chairman and Artem Petakov led Noom Ventures. In 2024, Noom launched Noom Vibe, which rewards activities such as walking and reaching step targets with points called “vibes.” The company also introduced three-dimensional body scanning to help users track physical changes and identify possible muscle loss during weight reduction. It began offering compounded GLP-1 medication in its weight-management program, expanding Noom further into the intersection of digital care, medication access, and obesity treatment. In 2025, the company relocated its headquarters from New York City to Princeton, New Jersey. Noom remains an active privately held digital-health company.

• 2025

  Headquarters move to Princeton

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom relocates its headquarters from New York City to Princeton, New Jersey.

• 2024

  Expansion into activity tracking, body scanning, and GLP-1 services

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom launches Noom Vibe, adds three-dimensional body scanning, and begins offering compounded GLP-1 medication through its weight-management program.

• 2023

  Geoff Cook becomes CEO

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Geoff Cook is appointed chief executive officer.

• 2022

  Subscription-billing settlement

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom agrees to a $62 million settlement in litigation concerning alleged automatic-renewal and cancellation practices.

• 2020

  Revenue reaches $400 million

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom reports $400 million in revenue for the year.

• 2019

  Novo Nordisk partnership

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom partners with Novo Nordisk to provide eligible Saxenda patients with a year of Noom access.

• 2017

  CDC diabetes-prevention recognition

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Noom is recognized as a certified diabetes prevention program by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• 2016

  Noom mobile app launches

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  The company officially launches the mobile application that becomes its principal consumer service.

• 2008

  Noom is founded

  [1]Noomen.wikipedia.org

  Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong establish Noom with a focus on technology-supported behavior change and health management.

Behavior-change-oriented digital health, combining psychology, nutrition education, activity tracking, software personalization, and human coaching.

• Digital weight management · 2016

  Noom App

  Noom’s core mobile application combines onboarding questionnaires, meal and activity logging, weight tracking, educational articles, interactive quizzes, goal setting, algorithmic feedback, human coaching, and peer interaction. Its programs are built around behavioral psychology and habit formation, with cognitive-behavioral concepts used to help users identify triggers, set goals, and develop routines. The app has also served as the delivery platform for diabetes-prevention, stress-management, and broader wellness content.

• Weight-management subscription

  Noom Weight

  Noom Weight is the company’s principal consumer weight-management offering. It uses personalized onboarding, food and exercise tracking, color-based food guidance, educational content, coaching, and progress monitoring. The service is positioned as a longer-term behavior-change program rather than a short-term diet. Public criticism has focused on the appropriateness of some calorie recommendations, the use of algorithmically determined targets, and the consistency and qualifications of coaching staff.

• Wellness and activity application · 2024

  Noom Vibe

  Introduced in 2024, Noom Vibe encourages users to build everyday health habits by awarding points known as “vibes.” Activities such as walking and meeting step goals can generate points. The product extends Noom’s behavior-change model toward general activity and wellness rather than focusing exclusively on food logging and weight reduction.

• Digital health feature · 2024

  3D body scanning

  Noom added a three-dimensional body-scanning feature in 2024. The feature is intended to let users monitor physical changes during weight loss and help identify or prevent muscle atrophy. It supplements scale-based progress tracking with visual and body-composition-related information, although the available reference material does not specify the underlying hardware or measurement methodology.

• Medication-supported weight management · 2024

  Noom Med and compounded GLP-1 offering

  In 2024, Noom began offering compounded GLP-1 medication as part of its weight-management program. The reference material describes the formulation as using the same active ingredient found in Wegovy and Ozempic. The offering represents an expansion from behavioral software into medication-supported obesity care and operates in a medically and regulatory sensitive area.

• 2023

  Follow-up privacy criticism

  Privacy International reported significant positive changes in Noom’s data-handling practices but continued to identify data-sharing concerns and said that additional improvements were needed.

  Source

• 2022

  Class-action billing settlement

  Noom agreed to a $62 million settlement resolving allegations that its subscription system used deceptive automatic renewals and made cancellation difficult. The company said it had improved pricing and policy disclosures and added self-service cancellation tools.

  Source

• 2021

  Concerns about personalization, health data, and advertising

  Privacy International criticized Noom’s lengthy onboarding questionnaire, arguing that the resulting programs were not always meaningfully individualized. It also raised concerns about transparency around the handling and sharing of sensitive health information, including alleged sharing with Facebook. Separately, critics questioned calorie targets, coaching qualifications, standardized responses, and advertising associated with diet culture.

  Source

• 2021

  Report raises concerns about Noom’s coaching and billing practices

  In September 2021, Business Insider reported customer and former-employee complaints about Noom’s coaching and subscription billing, and described concerns about the app’s calorie goals and food-tracking features. The article also reported that eight people in New York filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that Noom charged them without consent. The report presented these complaints and the lawsuit allegation as concerns raised about the company’s practices.

  Source

• 2020

  Subscription cancellation and automatic-renewal complaints

  The Better Business Bureau warned consumers after receiving complaints that users had difficulty canceling subscriptions after free trials, contacting Noom, and obtaining refunds. The issue later became the subject of class-action litigation.

  Source

Read more

• 2019Novo Nordisk Saxenda access partnership

  United States

  Noom partnered with Novo Nordisk to provide patients prescribed Saxenda with one year of access to Noom’s behavioral weight-management platform.

  Outcome. The partnership linked Noom’s digital coaching and behavior-change service with a prescription weight-management treatment.

  Source

• 2024

  Expand into activity tracking and medication-supported careProduct launch

  Background

  Noom aimed to extend its behavior-change proposition into general wellness, richer body-progress measurement, and pharmacological weight management.

  Action taken

  The company launched Noom Vibe, added three-dimensional body scanning, and began offering compounded GLP-1 medication through its weight-management program.

  Aftermath

  Noom broadened its product scope from a behavioral weight-loss app toward a more integrated digital obesity and wellness platform.

  Source

• 2022

  Improve subscription transparency and cancellationOther

  Background

  Customer complaints and class-action allegations focused on automatic renewal, cancellation difficulty, and refund access.

  Action taken

  Noom agreed to a $62 million settlement and said it introduced clearer pricing and policy disclosures and self-service cancellation tools.

  Aftermath

  Qualifying claimants received settlement payments, while subscription practices remained a significant reputational issue for the brand.

  Class-action settlement. $62 million (February 2022)

  Source

• 2019

  Integrate digital behavior change with prescription treatmentStrategy

  Background

  Noom sought to broaden its role in weight management beyond standalone software.

  Action taken

  It partnered with Novo Nordisk to give patients prescribed Saxenda one year of Noom access.

  Aftermath

  The partnership connected Noom’s coaching platform with pharmaceutical obesity treatment.

  Source

• 2016

  Launch the Noom mobile applicationProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to deliver behavior-change and weight-management services through a scalable mobile platform.

  Action taken

  Noom launched an app combining tracking, education, coaching, peer interaction, and algorithmic feedback.

  Aftermath

  The app became the company’s central consumer product and the foundation for later wellness and medication-related services.

  Source

• 2021.09.22

  Reported2021.09.22

  Report raises concerns about Noom’s coaching and billing practices[2]Report raises concerns about Noom’s coaching and billing practicesbusinessinsider.com

  Business Insider reported customer and former-employee complaints about Noom’s coaching and subscription billing, and described concerns about the app’s calorie goals and food-tracking features. The article also reported that eight people in New York filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging Noom charged them without consent.

• 2021.07.28

  Reported2021.07.28

  LifeScan and Noom announce expanded partnership[3]LifeScan and Noom announce expanded partnershipprnewswire.com

  LifeScan and Noom announced an expanded partnership combining LifeScan's OneTouch products and diabetes expertise with Noom's Diabetes Support Program and digital health tools.

Read more

1. 1Noomen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Report raises concerns about Noom’s coaching and billing practicesbusinessinsider.com
3. 3LifeScan and Noom announce expanded partnershipprnewswire.com