Noom Obsesses Over Calories

Noom’s another calorie-counting app. No, thanks.

Originally published on 2 July 2023.

Counting calories is outdated dieting advice, so Noom’s focus on calories makes it useless to me, but if you’re curious about Noom, I wrote my first impressions in How Does Noom Work? I’m doing their 7-day free trial and on Day 3, this is what else I see.

• Noom can’t sync across devices. My iPad info didn’t show up on my iPhone. When I checked Noom’s Help section, I found that you have to pick one and only one device on which to use the Noom app.
• No new ways to keep you on track. The app offers to send a text or email if you don’t log your food or or if you miss another task. The app calls this the ultimate plan for whenever you’re nearing the danger zone (the “danger zone” is when you’re in danger of ignoring the app). Then it says Simply saying you commit to something can help you feel more accountable. It’s psychology. So, there’s the psychology.
• Noom still sets up a good food-bad food dynamic, but it uses the word “calorie-dense” instead of “bad.”
• Green, yellow, orange. In my previous post on Noom, I was wrong in thinking Noom wants me to take it easy on the yellow foods (things like eggs, hummus and lean meat). Noom recommends I eat 30% green foods…