Off the Scale: Noom Weight’s Transformative Impact on Mental Wellness

In the wake of a nationwide mental health crisis, many employers are realizing that employee well-being is a strategic imperative to support year-round. Recognizing the vital link between physical and mental well-being, a growing number of organizations are actively seeking out integrated solutions that promote holistic wellness among their employee populations. Noom, a pioneer in this space, reshaped the personal wellness landscape by prioritizing an approach that simultaneously addresses both weight management and mental well-being.

The efficacy of Noom’s approach is underscored in a 2021 survey involving 3,485 participants (aged 18 to 50), who self-reported such information at a point in time after at least six months of using Noom. Its findings highlight Noom Weight’s considerable impact on respondents’ mental wellness, underscoring the amplifying power of its psychology-backed approach in driving behavioral change alongside weight loss.

Many of the survey’s findings reveal statistically meaningful shifts across multiple areas of mental health as participants reported impressive improvements following their engagements with Noom: 

• Mental wellness surged by an impressive 20%, indicating a better sense of overall well-being among users. 
• Anxiety levels experienced a 14% decrease, alleviating one of the most prevalent mental health challenges faced by employees in today’s high-stress professional environments.

Moreover, participants reported a significant reduction in stress levels, with an impressive 18% decline observed post-Noom intervention. Equally noteworthy is the enhanced ability to manage stress, as illustrated by a 22% uptick. This newfound resilience translated into a 19% reduction in stress’ impact on individuals’ daily lives, fostering a healthier and more balanced approach to navigating challenges. 

Perhaps one of the most striking findings of the study is the profound increase in participants’ awareness of their own stress and anxiety—a crucial step toward initiating meaningful change. Individuals reported an 11% enhancement in their understanding of these mental health challenges, indicating a newfound clarity and empowerment in addressing them.

The transformative impact of Noom on mental wellness can be attributed to the integration of evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in its program design and curricula. By leveraging CBT principles, Noom arms users with the requisite skills to navigate their emotions, challenge negative thought patterns, and adopt healthier behaviors that support their overall well-being and personal growth.

Noom’s Interim Chief Medical Officer Adonis Saremi shares the thinking behind Noom’s long-view approach. “At Noom, we recognize the strong link between physical and mental health,” he explains. “Our goal is not just to facilitate weight loss but to empower individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives by addressing the underlying factors that impact their well-being.”

Central to Noom’s philosophy is the cultivation of greater self-awareness among its members. By helping individuals become more attuned to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, Noom enables them to identify and address underlying patterns that contribute to their challenges. This emphasis on self-awareness serves as the cornerstone of this approach, which blends personalized coaching with principles of behavioral psychology and scientific insights into human decision-making.

Beyond mental health indicators, the study also captures significant downstream effects of Noom’s intervention on other aspects of participants’ lives. Energy levels soared by an impressive 37%, providing users with the vitality needed to tackle daily tasks and physical exercise with renewed enthusiasm. Additionally, confidence experienced a 34% boost, empowering individuals to embrace their potential and pursue their goals with conviction.

For employers grappling with the growing prevalence of stress and anxiety in their organizations, these findings emphasize the benefits of adopting programs that prioritize addressing the root causes of unhealthy behaviors over delivering quick fixes. Given that depression-related absenteeism costs U.S. businesses $51 billion annually, with an additional $26 billion spent on treatment, investing in solutions like Noom gives organizations important tools to share with their employee populations while also safeguarding their financial viability. By tackling the core issues driving employee stress and anxiety, organizations can better mitigate negative effects, cultivate a healthier workplace culture, and strengthen their bottom lines.