Unlocking Lasting Change: How Noom’s 4-Cs Drive Better Engagement and Outcomes

Despite their popularity, research shows that wellness offerings such as gym memberships and fitness challenges fail to drive better outcomes and lower healthcare costs long term.¹ Even highly effective anti-obesity medications, such as GLP-1s, fail to help people sustain long-term health on their own. To achieve and sustain good health, people need to develop healthier habits that become lasting lifestyle changes. However, most people don’t have the tools to develop these types of changes on their own. This is the crux of a successful behavior change program. 

Only 2.7% of the U.S. adult population achieves the basic behavioral characteristics of a “healthy lifestyle”, such as eating a healthy diet and regular exercise.² The reason why is simple. Most people don’t have the expertise or the support system in place to help them understand the root causes of unhealthy behaviors or how to leverage behavioral science to navigate setbacks and put themselves on a path to success. 

That’s why the 4-Cs – clinicians, coaching, community, and content – play a pivotal role in Noom’s programs, empowering people with comprehensive support to change their behaviors to live better, healthier lives for good.

A Closer Look at Each of the 4-Cs

1. Clinicians

Lack of lifestyle interventions and fragmented clinician visits are a key driver in people’s inability to develop lasting habits and achieve better health, especially for those with obesity. This disconnect is also the culprit in driving up healthcare costs, including uncontrolled GLP-1 spending.

Noom clinicians are trained in obesity care, providing the clinical expertise needed to not just help those with obesity lose weight, but develop habits that keep the weight off and improve their overall health long-term. 

Here’s how it works: For higher-risk members who have clinical obesity or who otherwise qualify can receive treatment from Noom obesity specialists through Noom Med, our powerful obesity care solution that combines biology and psychology to deliver better outcomes and lower overall costs. Our clinicians perform a comprehensive evaluation and create a tailored care plan for members, which may include GLP-1s or other anti-obesity medications, as well as ongoing medical support with frequent monitoring and adjustments as needed. For those taking a GLP-1, Noom’s deprescription protocols help members taper off GLP-1s after achieving significant weight loss or if they are non-responsive to the medication, reducing unnecessary prescriptions and associated costs. 

Noom’s programs integrate clinical care through Noom Med with behavior change through Noom Weight, our flagship product. Our GLP-1 Companion product provides additional behavior change support for those on a GLP-1, helping to optimize and maintain weight loss success through lasting lifestyle change, reducing long-term dependency on medication. 

With expert support from our clinicians, members have the comprehensive care they need to off-ramp medication and step down to long-term behavior change – improving their quality of life while also eliminating unnecessary spend on expensive GLP-1s. In fact, Noom’s comprehensive approach to GLP-1 management is projected to deliver 4.1x ROI over three years.*

2. Coaching

Developing healthy habits and sticking to them is easier with support and accountability. Noom’s coaches are trained to do just that, checking in with members every day to help them reach a broad range of health goals, including nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management.

Using psychological techniques such as motivational interviewing, coaches guide members toward sustainable behavior change in a personalized way that takes into account their lifestyle, preferences, and goals — ranging from helping members discover their “why” to guiding meal planning around approachable foods and recipes.

All of Noom’s coaches have an educational background in health and wellness and are required to complete an intensive, 12-week in-house training program called Noomiversity upon hire. The training dives into the five pillars of Noom coaching and how to best apply those principles in a virtual coaching setting. Some of our coaches are also certified by the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching. 

To further support members when they need it most, Noom’s coaching is chat-based, so members can reach out anytime, anywhere, without having to wait for a scheduled call. Noom’s coaches’ expertise, combined with always-on virtual support empowers members to stay on track with, achieve, and maintain their health goals. 

3. Community

Research shows that peer support contributes to successful weight loss and long-term weight maintenance.³ Noom recognizes the importance of community when it comes to developing healthier habits that stick, which is why every Noom program includes “Noom Circles” – coach-led peer networks designed to foster learning, growth, and connection among members working toward similar health goals. 

Noom offers a wide range of Circles, from healthy eating to fitness to navigating a GLP-1 regimen. No matter a member’s goals, there’s a Circle for them to connect with others striving towards similar objectives. These safe and supportive environments, led and monitored by Noom coaches, provide further support on members’ health journeys and play a key role in empowering them to live healthier, better lives.

4. Content

Content serves as the foundational layer across our suite of programs, helping members understand their relationship with food, fitness, sleep, stress, and more to drive healthy, lasting behaviors.

Each program includes a content curriculum tailored to the specific goals of that particular program — whether it’s stress management, weight loss, diabetes prevention, or the treatment of obesity. The curriculum itself is broken down into interactive, bite-sized lessons, ranging from 5-10 minutes long, that are served up to members daily. By introducing key concepts gradually and enabling new skills to be built over time, Noom optimizes habit formation.

The anchor underlying all of our content is psychology. Noom employs a key concept in psychology called the Elephant and the Rider—the elephant represents the impulsive, emotional side of the brain, while the rider represents the rational, analytical side. To guide members on their behavior change journey, we incorporate targeted activities aligned with the Elephant and Rider metaphor. These activities prompt members to recognize and manage impulsive decisions, create supportive surroundings, anticipate choices before fatigue, and make proactive decisions. The result? Members uncover the social, emotional, and environmental triggers behind unhealthy actions, so they can make better choices.

A Proven Path to Lasting Results

No one should be left to manage their health on their own, which is why Noom is purposeful in infusing humanity into healthcare through the 4-Cs to help people change their habits and behaviors for the long-run. Our approach has helped 2.6 million people lose 5% or more of their body weight,⁴ with 42% of those people maintaining that weight loss for 2 years.⁵ 

The 4-Cs make our comprehensive approach effective, ensuring users have the tools they need  to develop lasting habits that drive long-term health outcomes. 

Explore the difference Noom can make for your population. 

References

¹https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/do-employee-wellness-programs-actually-work-2019081317503

²https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160321200329.htm

³https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12170-020-00654-4

⁴Noom internal data

⁵Weight loss maintenance after a digital commercial behavior change program (Noom Weight): Observational cross-sectional survey study

*Third-party validated actuarial analysis, October 2024. This projection is based on a comparison to a status quo scenario where GLP-1 medication spending is uncontrolled. ROI may vary based on factors such as company size, employee health profiles, and current healthcare costs.