Microdosing meets weight loss as Noom turns a DIY trend into a medical program

Noom's new weight-loss program formalizes what many have been experimenting with and hyping on Reddit and TikTok: microdosing GLP-1 drugs. The digital healthcare company has launched a Microdose GLP-1Rx Program priced at USD 119 to start, followed by USD 199 monthly, which includes both medication and a "GLP-1 Companion" behavior change platform. Noom's protocol uses doses that are 25% or less of standard maintenance doses, with 70% of members reporting no side effects while still achieving significant weight loss.

The approach tackles three barriers to addressing obesity through Ozempic and its brethren: medication cost, side effects and sustainable behavior change. By personalizing dosing schedules to each member rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, Noom aims to maximize outcomes while minimizing the digestive issues that lead many to abandon GLP-1 treatments. This strategy bridges the gap between DIY experimentation and conventional medical protocols, potentially making these medications accessible to those deterred by both high costs and unpleasant side effects.

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While early adopters chased dramatic transformations through high-dose protocols, mainstream consumers now gravitate toward gentler interventions. Microdosing is a sign of the "Ozempic era" maturing, with preferences shifting from dramatic transformations to sustainable lifestyle integration; think less "Biggest Loser" and more "Couch to 5K." With Noom repackaging GLP-1 medication as an accessible health tool for the masses, the drugs' impact on the food industry is likely to increase. (See "Ozempic Is Costing Grocery Stores Billions" and "Ozempic Is Shrinking Appetites. Restaurants Are Shrinking the Food.")