Noom
Noom is a psychology-based weight loss and wellness app that combines calorie tracking with cognitive behavioral therapy principles. It's designed for people seeking sustainable weight loss through behavior change coaching, personalized meal plans, and support groups, and since 2023 it has also sold prescription weight-loss medications (including GLP-1s) through Noom Med.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-10-01. Score revised 2026-10-01: 52 → 42.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Noom relaunched as a direct-to-consumer weight-loss subscription combining calorie tracking, CBT-style lessons and 1-on-1 coaching, and in April 2017 became the first fully mobile program recognized under the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program. Revenue was about $12M and ad spend about $5M. The upfront, auto-renewing multi-month billing that later drew a class action was already in place (the settlement class starts in May 2016), but complaints had not yet scaled.
A $58M Series E led by Sequoia funded a large advertising push, and revenue reached about $237M in 2019. The trial-to-auto-renewal model, with cancellation routed through a coach, now ran at scale, and BBB complaints climbed from August 2019. Psychologists and dietitians began criticizing the 'anti-diet' marketing of what was a calorie-restriction program.
The pandemic lifted revenue to about $400M in 2020, and on May 12, 2020 a proposed $100M class action accused Noom of trapping customers in auto-renewing subscriptions and passing off largely automated replies as coaching. The BBB issued a consumer warning in August after 1,213 complaints in a year, and an October suit challenged its use of session-replay software. The subscription mechanics had become Noom's main documented source of consumer harm.
Silver Lake led a $540M Series F at a reported $3.7B valuation, part of it funding share repurchases, and Noom prepared for a 2022 IPO. It launched Noom Mood on the same trial-to-subscription model, and by January 2022 its monthly digital ad spend had more than doubled from a year earlier. Privacy International found health data shared with third parties, and Fast Company documented its use of eating-disorder recovery language in marketing.
Noom settled the auto-renewal class action for $62M (final approval July 2022), adding explicit auto-renewal consent, clearer disclosures and an easier way to cancel. At the same time it cut coaches in April and October 2022 and again in January 2023, roughly halving the coaching team; the CFO left and the IPO did not happen. Noom for Work pushed into employer sales as consumer growth slowed.
Noom Med launched in May 2023 to prescribe branded GLP-1s alongside coaching, and in July Geoff Cook replaced co-founder Saeju Jeong as CEO. Personalized 1-on-1 coaching gave way to group 'Noom Guides' in late 2023, with 1:1 coaching sold as an add-on; another layoff followed in January 2024 and the Welli AI assistant arrived in June 2024. The coaching product was shrinking while medication became the growth story.
Noom began selling compounded semaglutide in September 2024 at $149 for the first month and reached a $100M revenue run rate within four months; in February 2025 it cut more coaches as Healthy Weight sign-ups fell. When the FDA ended the semaglutide shortage, Noom lobbied for continued compounding and moved to 'personalized' and microdosed compounded GLP-1s, later opening them to adults with a BMI as low as 21 and buying its own compounding pharmacy in April 2026. The last year also brought an NAD ruling against one of its dosing claims and a free GLP-1 Companion for anyone on a GLP-1.
Alternatives
Free calorie and nutrition tracker with no dark patterns or aggressive subscription traps. It tracks macros and micronutrients more precisely than Noom. No coaching component, but the nutrition data is more transparent and useful. Easy switch — just sign up and start logging.
Calorie tracking app with a generous free tier that covers the core use case. Straightforward subscription model without the auto-renewal trial tactics Noom settled a class action over. Easy switch: starting fresh takes minutes.
One-on-one guidance from a credentialed nutrition professional instead of an app program. Telehealth visits have widened access, and the eatright.org directory lets you search by specialty and location. It costs more than an app, but the advice is tailored to you by a licensed expert rather than a subscription funnel.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (49 events)
WorkSmart Labs Rebrands to Noom
In December 2011 the company changed its name from WorkSmart Labs to Noom Inc. WorkSmart had been started by Saeju Jeong and former Google engineer Artem Petakov, whose early projects included a stationary-bike accessory and Android fitness and calorie-tracking apps; under the Noom name the company focused on its Weight Loss Coach app.
Noom Raises $16M Series B Funding
Noom completed a $16.15 million Series B round led by InterVest, with participation from LB Investment, Hanmi IT, RRE Ventures, TransLink Capital, and Qualcomm Ventures. The funding supported expansion of Noom's mobile preventive health solutions including calorie tracking and coaching features.
Noom Pivots to Direct-to-Consumer Subscription Model
Noom pivoted from its B2B health platform (generating ~$4M/year) to a direct-to-consumer weight loss subscription app. This was the product-market-fit moment, combining WeightWatchers-style coaching with mobile calorie tracking. Revenue grew from $12M ARR in 2017 to over $200M by 2019.
Noom Becomes First Mobile App with CDC DPP Recognition
Noom's Diabetes Prevention Program became the first-ever fully mobile program to receive CDC recognition. A study published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care showed 64% of participants who completed the program lost at least 5% of their body weight. This legitimized Noom's clinical credibility.
Noom Raises $14M Series D Led by Sompo Holdings
Noom raised a $14 million Series D round in March 2018 from Japanese insurer Sompo Holdings, as it scaled its direct-to-consumer subscription model.
Truth in Advertising Flags Noom's 'No Food Is Forbidden' Ad
TINA.org issued an Ad Alert on a Noom Facebook ad pairing a stack of pancakes with the claim that 'no food is forbidden' and a 35-pound weight-loss testimonial, cautioning that such weight-loss claims are the kind the FTC calls 'gut check' claims.
Sequoia Capital Leads $58M Series E Round
Noom raised $58 million in Series E funding led by Sequoia Capital, marking the company's largest fundraise at the time. The investment supported expansion of the behavioral coaching model and advertising push that would fuel the pandemic-era growth surge. Revenue was approaching $237M.
Noom Capitalizes on COVID-19 Pandemic Weight Gain
Noom's revenue surged from $237M in 2019 to $400M in 2020 as gym closures and pandemic weight gain drove demand for home-based weight loss solutions. The company offered 'zero cost' trial periods marketed as support during a difficult time, while the class action alleged this exploited consumers amid COVID-19.
Psychology Today Questions Whether Noom Is a Diet
Clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist Alexis Conason, Psy.D., published an analysis in Psychology Today concluding Noom is 'most definitely a diet' (the stoplight diet) despite its anti-diet marketing. She argued its 'anti-diet' language targets people in eating disorder recovery, noted the app gave her a very low calorie allotment with no eating-disorder screening, and said Noom's own study data overstated long-term results.
$100M Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Dark Patterns
Geraldine Mahood filed a proposed class action in the Southern District of New York seeking at least $100 million, alleging Noom duped thousands of customers into auto-renewing subscriptions through deceptive 'risk-free' trials and that its 'coaches' were largely automated. A former senior software engineer was later quoted in the litigation saying canceling Noom was 'difficult by design.'
BBB Issues Consumer Warning After 1,213 Complaints
The Better Business Bureau issued a formal consumer warning about Noom after receiving 1,213 complaints between August 2019 and August 2020. Consumers reported misleading free trials, unexpected charges of $120-$180, and difficulty reaching customer service for refunds. Noom received a 'D' rating from the BBB.
Privacy Lawsuit Filed Over Session Replay Tracking
California residents filed a proposed class action in federal court in Northern California alleging Noom used FullStory's 'session replay' software to record visitors' mouse movements, clicks, typing and scrolling without consent while they entered height, weight and medical details. The court dismissed the claims in 2021, finding FullStory acted as Noom's vendor rather than an eavesdropper.
Silver Lake Leads $540M Series F at $3.7B Valuation
Noom raised approximately $540 million in Series F funding led by Silver Lake, with new investors Oak HC/FT, Temasek and Novo Holdings and existing investors Sequoia Capital, RRE and Samsung Ventures. The round reportedly valued Noom at $3.7 billion. The company said it would expand into stress and anxiety, diabetes, hypertension and sleep, and used part of the capital for share repurchases.
Noom Plans 2022 IPO at $10B Valuation
Reuters sources reported that Noom had hired Goldman Sachs to lead preparations for an IPO that could come in early 2022 and more than double its $3.7 billion Series F valuation; later reports put the target near $10 billion. Noom expected more than $600 million in 2021 revenue (Inc.).
Privacy International Exposes Noom's Health Data Sharing
Privacy International's investigation 'An Unhealthy Diet of Targeted Ads' found Noom sharing highly sensitive personal health data (height, weight, medical conditions, dietary restrictions) with multiple third parties including Braze, FullStory, Mixpanel, and Zendesk in real-time, without adequate user consent.
Noom Launches Noom Mood Stress Management App
Noom launched Noom Mood, its first big step beyond weight management, using CBT-based daily lessons, mindfulness tools and human coaching for stress and anxiety. Priced at $149 for a four-month auto-renewing plan, with a seven-day trial at a user-chosen price starting at $0.50, it reused the trial-to-subscription model at the center of Noom Weight's auto-renewal class action.
FTC Issues Dark Pattern Enforcement Warning
The FTC issued an enforcement policy statement warning companies against using 'illegal dark patterns that trick or trap consumers into subscription services.' While not naming Noom specifically, the enforcement action directly addressed the subscription practices at the center of Noom's class action lawsuit.
Fast Company Exposes Anti-Diet Language Co-optation
Fast Company published an investigation showing how Noom, then valued at $4 billion, used the language of eating-disorder recovery and wellness ('stop dieting', mindfulness) to market a weight-loss program, an approach the piece called misleading and potentially dangerous.
Noom Spends $21M on U.S. Digital Ads in One Month
Pathmatics data reported by DFD News showed Noom spent more than $21 million on U.S. digital ads in January 2022, more than Peloton and iFIT combined and up from about $8.9 million in January 2021. Nearly 40% of the budget went to Facebook, with a single-day peak of $1.67 million on January 3.
Noom Proposes $62M Dark Pattern Class Action Settlement
Plaintiffs asked the court to approve a proposed $62 million settlement consisting of $56 million in cash and $6 million in subscription credits. The settlement covered approximately 2 million users who purchased auto-renewing subscriptions between May 2016 and October 2020 and were subjected to deceptive cancellation practices.
Noom Cuts 25% of Coaching Staff in First Layoff
Noom began laying off 495 coaches, roughly a quarter of its 2,000-person coaching staff, as it shifted from text-based coaching toward scheduled video calls. Reports based on internal documents said remaining coaches would face bigger workloads.
Court Grants Final Approval of $62M Settlement
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York granted final approval of the $62 million settlement ($56 million cash plus $6 million in subscription credits). Noom agreed to business practice changes for two years, including explicit opt-in to auto-renewal, clearer disclosures, an easier-to-find way to cancel, and a reminder email before the first auto-renewal charge on plans of three months or more.
Second Layoff Cuts 500 More Employees; CFO Departs
Noom laid off about 10% of staff, or around 500 people, mostly coaches; sources said the coaching team had nearly halved since the start of 2022 to roughly 1,000. CFO Mike Noonan left for Tripadvisor at the same time, which Noom called 'separate, unrelated announcements.'
Noom Launches B2B Enterprise Offering 'Noom for Work'
Noom debuted its enterprise offering, Noom for Work, at the HLTH conference, bundling Noom Weight, Noom Mood, and its Diabetes Prevention Program for employers and health plans. Co-founders had described enterprise as a bet to expand the customer base as consumer growth slowed.
Privacy International Acknowledges Data Practice Improvements
Privacy International re-tested Noom's data practices and acknowledged 'significant positive changes' since the 2021 investigation. However, the organization noted that data was still being shared with Facebook and concluded 'there is still room for improvement' in privacy protections.
Third Layoff Round Cuts 40% of Remaining Staff
Noom confirmed a third round of layoffs in less than a year in late January 2023 without disclosing how many were affected. Posts on LinkedIn and Blind said the cuts hit 50% of coaches and 30% of corporate staff; the general counsel also stepped down.
Noom Launches Noom Med Telehealth Program
Noom launched Noom Med, a telehealth program offering branded GLP-1 medications (Ozempic, Mounjaro) combined with behavioral coaching. Available initially in 32 states, the program paired weight loss drugs with Noom's psychological coaching platform. This represented a significant strategic pivot from a behavior-change app to a pharmaceutical intermediary.
Co-Founder CEO Replaced by Geoff Cook
Co-founder Saeju Jeong stepped down as CEO after 16 years, transitioning to Executive Chairman. Geoff Cook, former CEO of The Meet Group (a dating app company he took public on NASDAQ), was appointed as the new CEO. The leadership change signaled a pivot toward enterprise sales, M&A, and GLP-1 monetization.
1-on-1 Coaching Replaced by Anonymous Group 'Noom Guides'
Noom formally transitioned from its signature personalized 1-on-1 coaching model to 'Noom Guides' — unnamed experts answering questions in a group chat format. While still human, the service was significantly depersonalized compared to the original model. 1-on-1 coaching remained available only as a paid add-on for US-based users.
Fourth Round of Layoffs Hits Coaches and Engineers
Noom laid off an undisclosed number of employees in coaching and engineering roles, saying the cuts were made to streamline the business and reduce costs. It was the fourth round of cuts in less than two years.
Noom Introduces Welli AI Chatbot
Noom launched Welli, an AI health assistant positioned to provide 'always-on' answers on topics like eating healthily while traveling, alongside its human coaches. CEO Geoff Cook called 2024 'the year of applied AI for Noom.'
Noom Launches Compounded GLP-1 Program Starting at $149
Noom launched Noom GLP-1Rx, offering compounded semaglutide through an FDA-regulated 503B compounding pharmacy for $149 for the first month and $279 for later months as the dose rises. The program included taper-off support and a promise of a free year of Noom or medication discounts to members who regain weight, and was far cheaper than branded Wegovy or Ozempic (roughly $1,000 a month before insurance).
Noom Relocates Headquarters from NYC to Princeton
Noom moved its headquarters to a 9,000-square-foot office at One Palmer Square in Princeton, New Jersey, hosting 20 to 30 hybrid workers, where CEO Geoff Cook and much of its workforce live. It kept a scaled-down Manhattan office at 5 Penn Plaza.
Noom Launches Enterprise GLP-1 Management Products
Noom unveiled two enterprise products: Noom Med with SmartRx (in partnership with Waltz Health) and Noom Weight with GLP-1Rx, designed to help employers offer and control GLP-1 medication costs, citing a third-party actuarial estimate of 4.1x ROI. The launch extended Noom's medication business into the employer market.
Noom Cuts More Coaches as Healthy Weight Subscriptions Decline
Noom conducted additional layoffs affecting coaching and customer service staff, citing 'a revenue mix shift within the Noom business towards our fast-growing GLP-1-related products.' The company acknowledged that its original Healthy Weight program saw a drop in signups, leaving excess coaching capacity.
FDA Declares Semaglutide Shortage Resolved
The FDA updated its drug shortage list, declaring the shortage of all doses of injectable semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) resolved. This triggered wind-down deadlines for compounding pharmacies: April 22 for 503A pharmacies and May 22 for 503B facilities. The decision threatened the regulatory basis for Noom's compounded GLP-1 program.
GLP-1 Program Reaches $100M Revenue Run Rate
Noom disclosed that its GLP-1Rx and pill-based medication programs together grew to a $100 million annualized revenue run rate within four months of the September 2024 compounded semaglutide launch. This rapid growth validated the company's pivot from behavioral coaching to pharmaceutical intermediary.
Noom Expands into Hormone Replacement Therapy
Noom launched Noom + HRTRx for menopause support, offering hormone therapy as a cream ($69 to start, then $89/month) or a patch ($99 to start, then $149/month). The company cited more than 8 million women aged 40-60 who had joined its programs. The expansion moved Noom further toward prescription medication sales.
Noom Runs Full-Page WSJ Ad Lobbying for Compounded GLP-1s
Noom published a back-cover advertisement in the Wall Street Journal calling on HHS to create a 'High-Priced Drug List' that would allow compounding pharmacies to produce alternatives to expensive branded drugs even when no shortage exists. The ad included a QR code linking to a public petition directed at HHS.
Noom Shifts to 'Personalized' Compounded Semaglutide After Shortage Ends
Days before the FDA's May 22 deadline for mass-produced semaglutide copies, Noom began offering smaller, personalized doses of compounded semaglutide starting at $149 for the first month. CEO Geoff Cook said a personalized exception has always existed; Novo Nordisk responded that compounders cannot evade federal compounding laws with pretextual changes to doses and ingredients. Noom said it would keep selling branded Novo and Lilly drugs too.
Noom Launches Microdose GLP-1 Program at $119
Noom launched its Microdose GLP-1Rx program at $119 to start, then $199/month including medication, using doses at 25% or less of the standard maintenance dose and marketed as weight loss with fewer side effects. Noom cited a 2,700-person real-world study presented at the 2025 European Congress on Obesity showing 16% average weight loss over 64 weeks at microdose levels.
Highmark Offers Noom to Members at No Cost
Highmark announced at HLTH 2025 that it would offer Noom's weight management, diabetes prevention and diabetes programs, plus its GLP-1 support, to eligible health plan members at no cost to them. The deal extended Noom's shift toward selling through health plans and employers.
STAT: Microdosing Marketing Outruns the Evidence
STAT reported that Noom, Found and Hims & Hers had all launched microdosed GLP-1 programs in the previous three months, with Noom promoting its program alongside actor Rebel Wilson. Physicians and researchers told STAT there is no robust clinical evidence that semaglutide or tirzepatide work at very small doses, and a Yale researcher said such patients are effectively 'guinea pigs.'
Proactive Health Microdose Program Opens GLP-1s to BMI 21+
Noom launched Proactive Health Microdose GLP-1Rx at $149 a month, pairing microdosed GLP-1 medication with an at-home 17-marker blood test every four months and its app. The program is open to adults with a BMI of 21 or higher, which Noom described as the vast majority of US adults; its earlier microdose program required a BMI of 25.
Noom Acquires Tailor Made Compounding Pharmacy
Noom completed its first major acquisition, buying Tailor Made Compounding, a licensed 503A pharmacy operating in 46 states with a Kentucky facility of more than 40,000 square feet and over 400 clinic customers. Noom said it would broaden its formulary to peptide therapies such as sermorelin and interventions such as NAD+. Terms were not disclosed.
Teardown Documents Noom's 113-Screen Signup Funnel
A RevenueCat UX teardown found Noom's web-to-app onboarding runs up to 113 screens and 10-15 minutes, putting the paywall after users have invested significant time. It described 'building your plan' loaders as partly theatrical and noted the pay-what-you-want trial price does not change the subscription offered afterward.
NAD Finds Noom's 'Smaller Dose, Smarter Start' Claim Unsupported
After a challenge by Eli Lilly, the National Advertising Division found Noom had not substantiated that its lower-dose GLP-1 protocol was 'smarter' and recommended it drop or change the claim. Noom said it disagreed but would comply, and it had already permanently discontinued the other challenged dosing, efficacy and side-effect claims during the inquiry.
Noom Makes GLP-1 Companion Free for Anyone on a GLP-1
Noom made its GLP-1 Companion free to anyone taking a GLP-1 medication regardless of provider, including a medication tracker, personalized protein targets, AI photo meal logging, muscle-preservation workouts and body composition scans inside the Noom app.
Pennsylvania Session-Replay Suit Against Noom Dismissed
A federal judge in the Western District of Pennsylvania dismissed Oliver v. Noom, a 2022 proposed class action claiming Noom's session-replay code on its website violated the state wiretap law, holding the plaintiff lacked standing because she had not alleged giving Noom identifying information.
Evidence (55 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (6 entries)
Checked 89 items + prose. 34 verified, 39 corrected (17 date-only), 14 re-sourced, 2 removed. Invented/contradicted: privacy suit 'filed in Pennsylvania, Dec 2022' (court order: N.D. Cal., 2020); Psychology Today author 'Susan Albers' (post is by Alexis Conason); Series D 'from Samsung'/'Sampo' (Sompo Holdings per Multiples); Fortune review titled 'Reveals Declining Quality' (review is positive); Jan 2023 layoff '40%' (Fierce: 50% coaches/30% corporate, number undisclosed); '$3.7B valuation from a 2025 round' (2021 Series F); D4 'data export/deletion only by emailing support' (Noom support pages: in-app/portal); HRT 'progesterone pills, patches $69/$89' (release: cream $69/$89, patch $99/$149). Also: MobiHealthNews 'efficient business' article was Feb 2025, not Apr 2022; FDA cease-and-desist 'including Noom' unsupported. [Amended by regrade 2026-10-01: The fact audit called the baseline's 'privacy suit filed in Pennsylvania, Dec 2022' invented. The Top Class Actions source does describe the 2020 California case, so re-dating that event was correct, but a separate Pennsylvania session-replay suit (Oliver v. Noom, W.D. Pa. 2:22-cv-01857, filed 2022) does exist; it was dismissed on 2026-07-10. Added that dismissal as a timeline event with MediaPost and GovInfo sources.]
52→42. Since Feb 2026 (and the 12 months before): Proactive Health microdose GLP-1 opened to BMI 21+ (Dec 2025), Tailor Made Compounding pharmacy acquired (Apr 2026), NAD upheld Eli Lilly challenge to Noom dosing claim (May 2026), GLP-1 Companion made free (Jun 2026), Pennsylvania session-replay suit dismissed (Jul 2026), medication pricing reset for new accounts (Mar 2026); no new layoffs, FDA or FTC action found. D1 6→5 (recalibration: coaching paywalled/depersonalized fits 4-5; no core-workflow collapse), D2 3→2 (recalibration: coach pay is D9; enterprise partners show no exploitation), D3 5→4 (recalibration: private, no buybacks since 2021; cost cuts visible in product = 4), D4 4→3 (correction: fact audit found self-service cancel/export/deletion), D5 5→4 (recalibration: opacity now mainly funnel/pricing; AI labeled), D6 8→6 (correction: 'reforms expired' item removed by fact audit and in-app cancellation exists; funnel, non-refundable renewals and complaints keep it at 6), D7 7→6 (recalibration: no in-app ads; layered upsells and medication expansion = 6), D8 3→2 (recalibration: WSJ lobbying belongs in D10; one vertical acquisition), D9 6→5 (recalibration: repeated layoffs, no record-profit/anti-union evidence). D10 unchanged at 5. Eras: 2019-06-01→2019-05-06 (Series E), 2020-08-01→2020-05-12 (class action filed), 2021-06-01→2021-05-25 (Series F), 2022-10-01→2022-02-11 (settlement), 2023-07-01→2023-05-24 (Noom Med) relabeled 'Noom Med & New CEO'; split at 2024-09-12 (compounded GLP-1Rx launch) into new final era 'Compounded GLP-1 Push', which absorbs the placeholder 2026-02-11 'Current Assessment' era (merged); 'D2C Relaunch' kept. Trajectory worsening→stable. Category 'Fitness & Health' fits; Noom is increasingly a telehealth/pharmacy business.
Added 2 missing dimension narratives
MyFitnessPal is a notable omission but current picks are well-chosen and accurate