We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.
Medical News Today only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.
Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:- Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
- Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
- Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?
Both Noom and Nutrisystem aim to help people lose weight and live healthier lives. Noom encourage people to make incrementally more healthful choices that they can sustain, while Nutrisystem offer reduced calorie meal delivery.
This article focuses on the differences between Noom and Nutrisystem to help a person decide which weight loss aid is right for them.
Noom use psychological principles to help people develop more healthful habits that they can sustain. They do this via an app.
Nutrisystem, on the other hand, are a meal plan service that suggest more healthful versions of foods such as waffles and hamburgers. Subscribers can sign up for a variety of meal plans based on their daily caloric needs, budget, and nutritional goals. Nutrisystem offer several options, including plans for vegetarians and people with diabetes.
Noom and Nutrisystem use different philosophies to help people achieve the same goal: to live healthier lives.
Noom
Noom promise to avoid gimmicks and quick weight loss schemes in favor of strategies that help people make choices that they can sustain.
Noom do not ban any specific food. Instead, they group particular foods into colors: green, yellow, and red. A person can eat as many green foods as they want to (within reason), yellow foods in moderation, and red foods the least.
Noom also offer customized exercise and nutrition tips based on an individual’s goals and nutritional needs. The app uses coaching tactics to encourage people to keep trying, celebrating small successes that a person can build on.
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem aim to make healthful eating a low effort by offering lower calorie versions of many comfort foods.
Nutrisystem say that their foods offer:
- lean protein
- high fiber, to support feelings of fullness
- foods that are low on the glycemic index
- no artificial colors or sweeteners
Nutrisystem also encourage people to use meal replacement shakes and smoothies to feel full and eat fewer calories. Participants can receive additional coaching and support.
Please note that no one at Medical News today, including the writer, has tried Noom or Nutrisystem. All information presented here is purely research-based.
Researchers have focused on the effectiveness of Noom and Nutrisystem as weight loss aids.
Noom
Preliminary studies suggest that Noom can work well.
For example, in one 2017 study, researchers focused on people with metabolic syndrome who used Noom as a weight loss aid.
After 15 weeks of Noom use, the participants had lost 7.5% of their body weight. When the researchers visited the participants 1 year later, they had maintained most of that weight loss, with a total body weight loss of 5.2%.
Fasting glucose levels also decreased with Noom, along with cholesterol (except for high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol). Doctors call HDL “
Participants were more likely to lose weight when they frequently used Noom to log their meals.
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem are 4 decades old, so numerous studies have assessed how well their meal plan system works. Most research suggests that people lose weight with use, at least initially.
For example, one
To successfully lose weight with either program, participants would need to stick with the program or find ways to embrace the program’s habits and nutritional conventions in the long term.
For example, Noom subscribers would need to embrace the habits that Noom teaches, while Nutrisystem subscribers would need to learn how to make their own healthful meals.
With regards to diabetes and heart health, there are some things that a person may want to consider when using a weight loss aid such as Noom or Nutrisystem.
Diabetes
Both plans can work well for people with diabetes.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have officially recognized Noom as part of their Diabetes Prevention Program.
That said, the high fiber foods in Nutrisystem meals can help a person feel fuller for longer. Fiber may also
Learn more about diabetes here.
Heart disease
Noom do not promote a specific diet, but they do make heart-healthy recommendations based on a person’s dietary goals. This includes teaching people about the calorie density of different foods and triggers that may make a person want to eat unhealthful foods.
The app also encourages individuals to think about healthful food alternatives that can help them feel full for longer.
Nutrisystem prioritize healthful proteins and heart-friendly versions of popular fast food items. They claim that the Nutrisystem D plan is lower in total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol than a “typical” American diet.
Learn more about heart disease here.
Both programs may improve heart health by encouraging more physical activity and a transition to a moderate weight.
Nutrisystem costs significantly more than Noom. Noom’s pricing is roughly a few hundred dollars per year, depending on how long a person subscribes to the service, while Nutrisystem starts at a few hundred dollars per month.
Nutrisystem’s new partner plan allows subscribers to add a partner at a discount, which can help them save money. Although the cost of the food is expensive, if a person relies solely on Nutrisystem for their meals, they may actually save money on groceries.
Noom use a model of intensive, personalized support and coaching. People get daily support, suggested recipes, and access to coaches.
Nutrisystem also offer support via an app. Subscribers can also call and talk with a Nutrisystem counselor. There are also online Nutrisystem groups.
Comparing the two, Nutrisystem offer less personalized support than Noom do.
Both Noom and Nutrisystem can help a person lose weight. The right program for each person depends on how much structure they want, whether or not they want to prepare their own meals, and whether they have any unusual nutritional needs.
Noom offer more flexibility, but this flexibility may not be ideal for people who do not want to think about food every day.
People who need or want to lose a significant amount of weight or who have chronic medical conditions should talk with a doctor before trying any weight loss plan.