This story has been updated to include additional information from the Navy.
The Navy is working with a digital weight loss program to help active-duty sailors who did not meet body composition assessment standards.
According to a service fact sheet, the service is now offering a year of Noom, a commercial weight loss program that claims to use mental health practices to help people lose and maintain a healthy weight. The offer is only available to active-duty sailors who did not meet the body composition assessment standards during the 2024 Physical Fitness Assessment, according to the fact sheet, as part of a pilot program.
The Navy awarded Noom the contract for $466,600 in September 2024. The contract runs through September 2025. It was a single-source procurement, Lt. Kathryn Cole, a spokesperson with the Office of the Chief of Naval Personnel told USNI News.
Cole said in an email that the funds came from excess funds released by Congress in March 2024 for Quality of Service initiatives. The Noom program began Feb. 1.
“Noom was selected for this pilot because it met a strenuous list of capability requirements, such as behavior change components grounded in Cognitive Behavior therapy, demonstrated through peer review, scalability and protection of user data,” Cole said.
Noom did not respond to USNI News’ request for comment.
The pilot program runs Feb. 1 to Jan. 31, Cole said. Participation is voluntary.
“The pilot program’s success will be determined by several factors including the number of sailors who participate in the pilot, sailor feedback and cost effectiveness,” Cole said. “Objective data will also be used to determine if the pilot program was successful in increasing the number of sailors who are within BCA standards compared to previous years.”
Eligible sailors can sign up at go.noom.com/usnavy with their name and Department of Defense identification.
While Noom will provide readouts to the Navy, personal identification information will be removed, according to the fact sheet. Noom counts as a nutritional program for the Fitness Enhancement Program.
