TL;DR
- Yes, for short-term weight loss — Noom's published company trials show participants typically lose 5–7% of body weight over 16–32 weeks. Independent peer-reviewed analyses generally confirm meaningful short-term weight loss, though smaller than company-published numbers.
- Long-term results are less clear. Like nearly every weight-loss intervention, sustained loss past 12 months is much harder. Studies that follow Noom users beyond a year show partial weight regain.
- Noom Med (the GLP-1 add-on) is a meaningfully different program. It bundles Wegovy/Zepbound prescriptions where insurance allows, plus compounded GLP-1 alternatives in some plans. The evidence base for GLP-1 weight loss is much stronger than the original Noom psychology-only program.
- Cancel before the trial ends. The 2022 FTC complaint against Noom alleged auto-renewal and refund-handling practices that misled consumers. The settlement requires clearer disclosures, but cancellation friction remains a documented user complaint.
What Noom actually is
Noom is a behaviour-change app for weight management. It uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles, food-color categorization (green / yellow / red foods), AI-guided coaching, and human coach check-ins to drive habit change. The original program was diet- and behaviour-based; the 2023+ Noom Med program adds a clinician layer that can prescribe GLP-1 medications (Wegovy, Zepbound, and in some markets compounded alternatives).
As of 2026, Noom's pricing is roughly $70/month (monthly billing) with significant discounts on annual plans. Noom Med adds clinician-evaluation fees and prescription costs that vary widely by insurance.
The evidence — short-term weight loss
Noom has published several real-world-evidence studies, including in Scientific Reports, JMIR mHealth and uHealth, and the Journal of Medical Internet Research. Headline findings:
- A 2016 retrospective study (n ≈ 35,000) reported 78% of Noom users lost weight over the 9-month tracking window, with median loss around 5–7% of body weight.
- A 2020 weight-loss-program study showed average loss of approximately 7.5% body weight over 16 weeks among engaged users.
- Multiple smaller trials and pilot studies in 2021–2024 reported similar 5–8% loss ranges over 4–8 month windows.
These results are real but caveated. Most published Noom research is funded by Noom and focuses on engaged users (those who completed a meaningful portion of the program). Independent meta-analyses of digital weight-loss apps generally show smaller average losses (2–4%) when intent-to-treat populations including non-completers are included. For comparison, a structured commercial program like Weight Watchers shows similar 5–6% short-term loss in randomized trials.
The evidence — long-term weight maintenance
Long-term data on Noom is sparse. The available evidence suggests that, like nearly every weight-loss intervention except bariatric surgery and ongoing GLP-1 use, weight regain after the active program is the norm. A 2022 follow-up to one of Noom's trial cohorts showed roughly half of the lost weight regained at 18 months. This is consistent with the broader weight-loss literature: behaviour-change programs work while you stay engaged with them; benefits decay when engagement does.
Noom Med — the GLP-1 program
Noom Med bundles a clinician evaluation, GLP-1 prescribing where clinically appropriate, and ongoing coach support. Where insurance covers Wegovy or Zepbound, this can be a reasonable single-platform pathway to access GLP-1 medications. Noom Med has also offered compounded GLP-1 options in some markets — those carry the same regulatory caveats as any compounded GLP-1 (see our Hims compounded GLP-1 safety guide for the FDA framing — the same caveats apply to any compounded-GLP-1 program).
The clinical evidence for GLP-1-driven weight loss is strong. STEP trials for semaglutide showed average 15% body-weight loss over 68 weeks. SURMOUNT trials for tirzepatide (Zepbound) showed even larger losses (15–22% depending on dose). These effects are durable while the medication is taken; weight regain is typical when GLP-1 use stops, which makes long-term medication adherence the binding constraint, not the program design.
The 2022 FTC complaint
In 2022 the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Noom alleging that the company's auto-renewal practices and refund handling violated federal consumer-protection law. Specific allegations included: (1) advertising "free trials" that auto-converted to paid subscriptions without sufficient disclosure, (2) charging users for renewal periods after cancellation requests, and (3) making refunds difficult to obtain. Noom settled in 2022 for $62 million and committed to clearer disclosures and easier cancellation.
Despite the settlement, user complaints about cancellation friction persist on Trustpilot and Reddit as of May 2026. To minimize risk: cancel via the in-app billing screen well before any trial expires, screenshot the cancellation confirmation, and dispute charges via your card issuer if Noom continues to bill after a documented cancellation.
Who Noom is right for
- Yes: if you want a structured behavioural program with daily nudges, food logging, and coach check-ins, and you are clear-eyed about the long-term challenge of maintaining loss.
- Yes (Noom Med): if you are eligible for a GLP-1 medication and want a single-platform clinician + coach experience.
- No: if you've used and bounced off similar programs (Weight Watchers, MyFitnessPal Premium) and the issue is sustained engagement, not program design. Switching apps rarely solves the engagement problem.
- No: if you have a history of disordered eating. The food-categorization system (green / yellow / red) and daily logging can reinforce restrictive patterns. Talk to a clinician first.
Bottom line
Noom works for short-term weight loss in engaged users — the published evidence supports this. Whether it works for you depends on whether you'll stay engaged for 16+ weeks and what you do after the program ends. For most people, the answer is "some loss while engaged, partial regain over 12+ months" — a useful tool, not a magic bullet. Noom Med with GLP-1 medication is a stronger intervention with stronger evidence but is a different cost and risk profile than the original psychology-only program.
The single most actionable advice: if you sign up, set a calendar reminder to cancel before any trial ends, regardless of whether you intend to continue. Re-subscribing is easy. Disputing surprise charges is not.