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Tidbits on Trying Again from World-Renowned Experts (the Noom Scientific Advisory Board)

by | May 10, 2021 | Last updated Mar 17, 2023

On April 23, we held our most recent Noom Scientific Advisory Board meeting. World-renowned experts in weight management and healthy behavior change convened for a 3-hour session to provide guidance on our research and product. This is important because it provides us with world-class wisdom, ensuring that our research and product rigorously tackles important areas of behavior change.

These experts also shared some tips for what makes for better weight loss. For example, here’s a pop quiz: let’s say your friend starts Noom, decides to take a break for whatever reason, and then comes back for another try. How do you think she’ll do the second time? 

Our experts shared that normally, you might expect the second weight loss attempt to be pretty hard. In one study, SAB member Dr. Rena Wing gave participants a very low calorie diet for 12 weeks. Then, participants were taken off of the diet for 16 weeks and gradually ate more food and calories. Finally, participants went back to the very low calorie diet once again for another 12 weeks. She found that weight loss and engagement were much lower during the second diet period than the first. People had a much harder time keeping up with the food restrictions the second time than the first time. And this happened even though participants had been clamoring to go back on the diet again!

The conventional wisdom is that people may not be as successful or as actively engaged the second time around. That’s why the SAB members were pleasantly surprised to hear that Noom has found that users who come back do really well — they actually have great engagement. This could be because Noom has a special experience for these users that’s geared to help them start right where they left off. It could also be because these users are more ready after learning the first time what is involved, or possibly because they have made positive changes in their lives that give them the time and opportunity to deeply engage in Noom. The SAB members agreed that it’s really important and novel to understand these users, so stay tuned for more research and analyses to come! 

And remember, if it’s your second time around, whether on Noom or just in weight loss in general, it’s okay if it feels harder than you expected. Look to Noom to help guide you through your experience, whether you had a sudden illness your first time on Noom or whether you simply want to find the weight loss program that works best for you. Noom may be the place that helps you find what you need to succeed this time.