Noom Coach for Bariatric Health

Mobile technologies/smartphone applications offer a means to effect behavior change without significant obstacles that typically limit implementation of empirically supported therapies (e.g., in-person sessions); however, rigorous research on apps is limited, and high-quality, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials with large samples are required. As more Americans consider bariatric surgery for the treatment of severe obesity, it is imperative to improve factors influencing suboptimal surgical outcomes (e.g., failure to adhere to diet and exercise recommendations and psychosocial impairment). This study will evaluate the effect of the Noom Coach for Bariatric Health platform in improving standard interventions utilized in bariatric surgery programs.

Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States. As few behavioral treatments are effective for weight loss, bariatric surgery is an increasingly important option. Although these procedures are more helpful than psychosocial treatments, post-operative weight losses vary widely, and a notable subset of patients demonstrate suboptimal weight loss or substantial weight regain. Adherence to treatment recommendations is a likely contributor to these variable outcomes. Smartphone applications (apps) designed to augment behavior change or enhance adherence, have expanded exponentially in recent years, and are a potentially useful option to improve outcomes, but rigorous research on apps is limited, and high-quality, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials with large samples are required. This study will test a combined smartphone app and health coaching system to improve adherence and behavioral/psychosocial outcomes for patients receiving bariatric surgery. The aims have not been modified since the original phase 1 and will compare usual pre-operative care and pre-surgical use of Noom Coach for Bariatric Health on post-surgery adherence and psychosocial variables in a larger test (n=200) to explore whether usage of the app is a viable predictor of subsequent post-operative weight trajectories 12 months following surgery. This study will also examine app usage as a viable predictor of subsequent post-operative weight and psychosocial trajectories in the 12 months post-surgery and establish sensitivity and specificity of early optimal response to surgical intervention using weight loss, diet and exercise adherence, and psychosocial adjustment.