Recovering from an eating disorder is often a long and difficult journey, one that requires not just the intervention of medical professionals, but a robust, holistic approach that includes support, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Traditional treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), have long been considered the gold standard in treating eating disorders. However, a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that patients recovering from eating disorders could greatly benefit from supplementing their traditional treatment with the use of apps. Specifically, the research points to an app called Noom Monitor that, when combined with CBT, led to significantly improved outcomes for patients over a 52-week period.
This study holds promising implications for eating disorder recovery providers, potentially offering a more accessible, efficient, and effective way to deliver treatment. For many people, the road to recovery is challenging, with constant barriers such as limited access to care, the difficulty of finding ongoing support, or the high costs of continuous therapy. Apps may help bridge these gaps, making treatment more flexible and supportive, ultimately enhancing long-term recovery success.
The Study: Examining the Power of Combining CBT and App Assistance
The research followed 225 individuals with eating disorders over the course of 52 weeks, exploring how different forms of treatment could impact recovery. Participants were divided into two groups: one received standard stand-alone CBT, while the other received CBT supplemented by guided self-help through the Noom Monitor app. This study was conducted within the Kaiser Permanente integrated health care system in the Pacific Northwest, which provided a robust and reliable setting for this research.
The primary goal was to measure the impact of CBT, a well-established treatment for eating disorders, when paired with the Noom Monitor app. Noom Monitor is a mobile app developed by Noom, a New York City-based health and wellness company known for helping users manage their weight through psychological insights and healthy habit formation. It’s a unique tool that allows users to track meals, binging episodes, purging behaviors, and other aspects of their eating habits. Additionally, patients have access to a trained coach who can provide support, guidance, and accountability.
Over the course of the study, participants in the combined CBT and app group received eight telemedicine sessions with a health coach over the span of 12 weeks. These sessions, which were conducted via telemedicine, ensured that participants had easy access to professional guidance even outside of the traditional in-person therapy setting. Afterward, participants were assessed at intervals of 4, 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks to track their progress and recovery.
Results: App-Enhanced Treatment Leads to Significant Improvement
The results of the study were striking and clearly indicate that combining traditional CBT with an app like Noom Monitor leads to better outcomes than CBT alone. The study found that patients who used the app reported significantly lower rates of unhealthy eating behaviors, such as binge eating. This was a crucial finding, as binge eating is one of the most common and distressing behaviors associated with eating disorders, and overcoming this is often a key part of recovery.
The patients who supplemented their CBT with Noom Monitor also showed higher rates of remission from unhealthy eating behaviors. Specifically, 56.7% of the combined group experienced remission compared to only 30% of the patients who underwent standard CBT alone. This suggests that the combination of traditional therapy with the structured, easily accessible, and flexible support offered by the app helped participants make more substantial progress in overcoming eating disorder symptoms.
In addition to reducing binge eating, patients who used the app also showed a decrease in other harmful behaviors like vomiting, laxative use, and excessive exercise. These are all common behaviors associated with eating disorders, particularly conditions like bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. The combination of CBT and app support provided a more comprehensive approach that addressed not only the psychological aspects of the disorder but also the day-to-day behaviors that can make recovery especially challenging.
How Noom Monitor Works and Why It Matters
At the core of the study’s success was the use of Noom Monitor, a digital tool that helps patients stay on track with their eating habits by providing easy access to tracking tools and support from coaches. The app’s primary function is to help users track meals, binges, and purging episodes, while also allowing them to set specific goals and receive feedback from their health coach.
The Noom Monitor app is unique in that it offers both a structure for tracking behavior and emotional support. The app is not just about meal logging but also focuses on developing healthy psychological habits that can help patients better understand and manage their emotions around food. This combination of cognitive-behavioral strategies and real-time feedback appears to help reinforce healthier behaviors and provides a critical layer of accountability and support that might otherwise be missing from traditional face-to-face therapy alone.
One key feature of the app is the access to health coaches. These professionals are available to guide patients through the challenges of recovery and offer support when things get tough. Patients report that having a health coach they can regularly check in with offers significant emotional support, particularly when they’re tempted to revert to unhealthy behaviors. This structured yet flexible support is one of the reasons why Noom Monitor stands out from other digital tools aimed at addressing eating disorders.
Why Digital Support Matters in Eating Disorder Recovery
The findings of this study suggest that digital tools, like the Noom Monitor, have the potential to be transformative in the treatment of eating disorders. While face-to-face therapy remains critical in the recovery process, the flexibility and accessibility of digital support offer significant advantages. For patients, the ability to receive guided assistance on their smartphone makes it easier to incorporate recovery practices into their daily lives. With the app, patients can track their progress, set goals, and receive feedback all in one place, which makes it easier for them to stay on top of their recovery, even outside of therapy sessions.
Moreover, apps help reduce some of the common barriers to treatment that people with eating disorders often face, such as the difficulty of attending in-person sessions or the stigma associated with seeking help. For many patients, the idea of opening up in a traditional therapy setting can feel overwhelming, and an app provides a less intimidating way to receive support and track progress at their own pace.
Additionally, the use of telemedicine allows patients to access support without the logistical or emotional strain of traveling to a treatment center. The convenience of virtual sessions with health coaches means that patients can engage with their recovery no matter where they are located, which is particularly beneficial for those in rural areas or those who may face mobility issues.
The Future of Eating Disorder Treatment: Digital Health and Traditional Therapy Combined
As the field of mental health care continues to evolve, the integration of technology with traditional therapy looks set to play a major role in improving outcomes for patients with eating disorders. The success of this study makes a strong case for eating disorder recovery providers to explore the adoption of digital tools in their practice. By combining cognitive-behavioral therapy with the structured, real-time support of an app, healthcare providers can enhance the effectiveness of traditional treatments, while also improving patient accessibility, engagement, and long-term success.
The findings of this study are just the beginning. Future research could examine the role of other apps, platforms, and digital tools in treating eating disorders, potentially offering even more insights into how technology can improve recovery outcomes. Given the growing prevalence of eating disorders, it is crucial that healthcare providers continually explore new ways to offer better support for patients. Digital tools like Noom Monitor provide a promising option for helping patients recover in a more accessible and effective way.
For patients recovering from eating disorders, the road to healing is rarely easy, but the promise of technology in aiding recovery offers new hope. As this study demonstrates, combining traditional treatments with innovative digital support could pave the way for improved outcomes, ultimately giving more individuals the tools they need to regain their health and well-being.
