Numan vs Second Nature

Jump to: Quick comparison | Clinical evidence | Programme approach | Support and coaching | Who should choose each | FAQs | Take home message

When choosing between Numan and Second Nature for medication-supported weight loss, the key differences come down to clinical track record, UK healthcare integration, and the type of support you receive alongside medication.

Second Nature has focused exclusively on weight management since 2017 and is NHS-commissioned across 43 ICBs and Health Boards. Our 12-month outcomes are published in JMIR Formative Research¹.

Numan is a UK-based digital health company that began in men’s health (treating conditions like erectile dysfunction and hair loss) before expanding into weight loss in 2022.

They’ve since grown to serve over 500,000 patients across all their services, hold a ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and now offer weight-loss programmes for both men and women.

Both services prescribe the same medications. The differences lie in clinical evidence, how support is delivered, and the depth of behaviour-change programming alongside medication.

This guide was written by Second Nature, so it naturally reflects our perspective, but we’ve aimed to present Numan’s strengths and limitations as fairly as possible.

Numan vs Second Nature: quick comparison

Clinical evidence and NHS partnership

Second Nature: NHS-commissioned with published 12-month outcomes

Second Nature has focused exclusively on weight management and behaviour change for over eight years. The NHS has commissioned our programmes since 2017, with 43 ICBs and Health Boards across the UK using our services to support over 250,000 patients.

Our published research in JMIR Formative Research shows specific outcomes for our medication-supported programme¹:

• 19.1% average weight loss at 12 months
• 77.7% achieved at least 10% weight loss
• 69% reported no side effects by month 12

Separately, NHS England’s evaluation of the Digital Weight Management Programme found that Second Nature achieved substantially higher weight loss compared to other providers at 12 months³. This is independent validation from the NHS itself, not our own marketing.

Numan: internal programme data at 90 days

Numan has published a retrospective analysis of 2,366 patients on their weight-loss programme, covering a 90-day period². The study reported:

• 10.3% average body weight loss at 90 days
• 11.3% weight loss among participants who engaged with both coaching and the app
• 7.5% weight loss among those using medication alone (without coaching engagement)

This is meaningful programme-specific data, and the finding that coaching engagement improved outcomes by around 50% supports the value of behavioural support alongside medication.

However, this study has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. It appears on Numan’s own website rather than in an independent publication, which means it hasn’t undergone the external scrutiny that peer review provides.

Numan’s clinical research team, led by Dr Rebecca Jones (PhD, University of Cambridge, 30+ peer-reviewed publications), has published extensively in other areas of health, but programme-level weight-loss outcomes have not yet appeared in academic journals.

The key differences in evidence are duration (12 months vs 90 days) and validation (peer-reviewed journal publication vs internal analysis). Second Nature also benefits from an independent NHS evaluation, which provides a layer of institutional validation beyond company-funded research.

Programme approach

Both programmes combine medication with lifestyle support, but they differ in structure and philosophy.

Second Nature: structured behaviour change with non-restrictive nutrition

Our approach is built on the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour)⁴ and runs across four phases: Core, Grow, Maintain, and Sustain.

We don’t recommend calorie counting, cutting out food groups, or labelling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Many studies link highly restrictive dieting to weight regain over time⁵, and for some people, intensive calorie tracking can be associated with poorer psychological outcomes around food.

Instead, we focus on building habits around balanced meals, understanding your hunger signals, and developing a sustainable relationship with food that lasts beyond medication.

This matters because research shows that around two-thirds of people regain weight within a year of stopping GLP-1 medication without behaviour change support⁶. Our programme is specifically designed to prepare you for life after medication from day one.

Numan: medication-centred with coaching across multiple domains

Numan’s programme pairs medication with one-to-one health coaching covering nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindset. Their approach frames obesity as a chronic disease influenced by genetics, hormones, and environment rather than personal failure, which aligns with current medical understanding.

Numan’s coaching team includes nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and behaviour change specialists, led by a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience in behaviour change and obesity (formerly at Weight Watchers International and Allurion Technologies). Their clinical research is overseen by Dr Rebecca Jones, an award-winning researcher specialising in obesity and weight management.

Numan’s app provides weight tracking, clinician messaging, medication reminders, and educational content. Participants engage with a dedicated health coach through in-app chat for personalised guidance.

The main structural difference is that Numan doesn’t offer a standalone non-medication programme. If you want to transition off medication with continued support or prefer a lifestyle-only approach, Second Nature provides that option.

Support and coaching

Second Nature: registered dietitians and peer support groups

Second Nature provides UK-registered dietitians and nutritionists, available five days a week through both group and private messaging. These professionals are:

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or the Association for Nutrition (AfN)
• Trained specifically in GLP-1 medication support
• Supervised by senior dietitians
• Supported by in-house psychologists on behaviour change coaching

You’re also placed in a small peer group with others on similar programmes. Research consistently shows that peer support improves weight-loss maintenance⁷, and this community element is built into every Second Nature membership.

Second Nature’s app includes:

• 300+ recipes designed for people taking weight-loss medications
• Food and mood journals identifying patterns
• Daily educational content (audio or written)
• Habit tracking with behavioural insights
• Medication management with side-effect support

Numan: one-to-one coaching with a multidisciplinary team

Numan provides support through a different model: one-to-one coaching via their app, with access to both health coaches and clinicians. Their support team includes:

• Nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and behaviour change specialists
• Named clinicians, including a Lead GP (Dr Luke Pratsides) and Medical Director (Dr Bryony Henderson)
• A registered dietitian leading behavioural medicine and health coaching services
• Unlimited clinician messaging through the app

Numan’s data suggests that patients who actively engage with both their coaching and app features achieve meaningfully better results than those using medication alone (11.3% vs 7.5% weight loss at 90 days)². This supports the value of their coaching model.

The main differences in support come down to structure and professional framework. Second Nature’s dietitians are individually registered with UK regulatory bodies (HCPC or AfN), which provides a clear, verifiable standard of clinical expertise.

Numan lists named clinicians and qualified professionals on their website, but doesn’t publish a full register of all coaching staff or their individual regulatory registrations.

Second Nature includes structured peer support groups; Numan focuses on one-to-one coaching without a group element. Some people prefer the accountability of a peer group, while others prefer the privacy of individual coaching. Neither approach is inherently better.

Who should choose each programme?

Choose Second Nature if you:

• Want a programme backed by published, peer-reviewed 12-month clinical outcomes
• Value NHS-commissioned approaches and institutional trust built over eight years
• Prefer support from individually registered dietitians and nutritionists (HCPC/AfN)
• Benefit from small peer support groups and shared accountability
• Want a structured behaviour change plan (COM-B framework) for life after medication
• Want the option of a non-medication programme

Choose Numan if you:

• Want a CQC-rated ‘Good’ provider with 500,000+ patients across their platform
• Prefer one-to-one coaching over group-based support
• Want multidisciplinary support covering nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindset
• Value strong Trustpilot ratings (4.5/5 from 31,000+ reviews)
• Want a wider range of medication options (Mounjaro, Wegovy, Alli)
• Prefer a dedicated women’s programme with menopause-specific support

Frequently asked questions

Is Numan or Second Nature better for Mounjaro?

Both services prescribe Mounjaro and include clinical monitoring alongside the medication. The difference is in the support that comes with it.

Second Nature provides registered dietitians trained in GLP-1 medications, a structured four-phase behaviour change programme, and small peer support groups. Our published research shows 77.7% of participants achieved at least 10% weight loss at 12 months¹.

Numan provides one-to-one coaching from nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and behaviour change specialists, with clinician oversight.

Their 90-day programme data shows meaningful outcomes, particularly among patients who engage with coaching alongside medication². If you prefer individual coaching over a group setting, Numan’s model may suit you better.

Has Numan published clinical evidence?

Numan has published an internal retrospective study of 2,366 patients showing 10.3% average weight loss at 90 days². This data appears on their website rather than in a peer-reviewed journal, which means it hasn’t undergone independent external scrutiny.

Second Nature’s outcomes are published in JMIR Formative Research, a peer-reviewed journal, and cover a full 12-month follow-up period¹. Second Nature also has independent validation from NHS England’s evaluation of the Digital Weight Management Programme³.

The distinction lies in the duration of follow-up, the independence of the publication, and the rigour of peer review, rather than in whether programme data exist at all.

Which service has NHS backing?

Only Second Nature has NHS commissioning, which has been in place since 2017 across 43 ICBs and Health Boards. Numan operates as a private service without NHS partnerships.

This NHS relationship reflects confidence in our clinical approach, governance standards, and data security. It’s worth noting that NHS commissioning is not a requirement to prescribe weight-loss medications safely; Numan is CQC-registered and rated ‘Good’.

NHS commissioning is an additional layer of institutional validation that indicates a programme has met rigorous public healthcare standards.

What qualifications do Numan’s coaching team have?

Numan’s coaching team includes nutritionists, exercise physiologists, and behaviour change specialists. Their behavioural medicine team is led by a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience, and their clinical research is led by Dr Rebecca Jones (PhD, Cambridge). Named clinicians including their Lead GP and Medical Director are listed on their website.

However, Numan doesn’t publish a full public register of all coaching staff or their individual registrations with their respective regulatory bodies. This makes it harder to verify the specific qualifications of the coach you’d be assigned.

Second Nature employs UK-registered dietitians and nutritionists who are registered with the HCPC or AfN, with specialised training in GLP-1 medication support and supervision from senior dietitians.

Can I switch from Numan to Second Nature?

Yes. We’ll review your medical history and current medication to ensure a safe transition. A 7-day gap between your last Numan prescription and your first Second Nature prescription is usually recommended.

Many members join Second Nature after starting with other providers, often seeking more structured behaviour change support alongside their medication. Our dietitians will work with you to continue your progress without disruption.

Does Numan offer programmes for women?

Yes. While Numan began as a men’s health company, they now offer a dedicated women’s weight-loss programme that addresses menopause-related weight gain, hormonal challenges, and body composition. Their coaching team includes specialists who tailor advice for women’s health needs.

Second Nature’s programme is open to all adults, with support from dietitians who tailor advice to individual needs regardless of gender.

Which has better customer reviews?

Both services have strong Trustpilot ratings. Numan has 4.5/5 from over 31,000 reviews, while Second Nature has 4.5/5 from over 7,800 reviews.

Numan’s significantly higher review volume reflects their larger patient base across all services (weight loss, men’s health, diagnostics).

Second Nature’s reviews are specific to weight loss and have been built consistently over eight years. Both ratings suggest genuine satisfaction, and it’s worth reading recent reviews on both platforms to find experiences relevant to your situation.

Is Numan just a medication delivery service?

No. This is a common misconception. Numan’s weight-loss programme includes medication alongside one-to-one health coaching, clinician oversight, app-based behaviour change content, and support covering nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindset. Their own data suggests patients who engage with coaching lose meaningfully more weight than those using medication alone².

That said, Numan doesn’t offer a standalone non-medication programme. If you want structured support without medication, or a programme specifically designed for transitioning off medication, Second Nature provides both options.

Take home message

Second Nature and Numan both prescribe effective weight-loss medications with support alongside the medication. The choice comes down to what matters most to you.

Second Nature brings eight years of specialist weight management experience, NHS commissioning across 43 health boards, published peer-reviewed 12-month outcomes, and support from individually registered dietitians.

Our structured behaviour change programme is specifically designed to help you maintain results after medication, supported by evidence that most people regain weight without this kind of support⁶.

Numan has built significant scale (500,000+ patients across all services), holds a CQC ‘Good’ rating, and offers multidisciplinary one-to-one coaching alongside medication.

Their 90-day programme data shows strong early outcomes, particularly with coaching engagement, and their clinical team includes experienced researchers and registered healthcare professionals.

If NHS validation, longer-term peer-reviewed evidence, and structured behaviour change with peer support are your priorities, Second Nature is likely the better fit.

If you prefer one-to-one coaching, a large established platform with strong Trustpilot ratings, and a wider medication range, Numan may suit you better.

References

1. Richards, R., et al. (2025). A Remotely Delivered, Semaglutide-Supported Weight Management Program: 12-Month Outcomes. JMIR Formative Research, 9(1), e72577.
2. Numan. (2024). Evaluating the effectiveness of Numan’s Weight Loss Programme: a 90-day review. Numan.com.
3. Ross, J.A.D., et al. (2022). Uptake and impact of the English National Health Service digital diabetes prevention programme. BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, 10(3), e002736.
4. Michie, S., van Stralen, M.M. & West, R. (2011). The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science, 6, 42.
5. Mann, T., et al. (2007). Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer. American Psychologist, 62(3), 220-233.
6. Wilding, J.P.H., et al. (2022). Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 24(8), 1553-1564.
7. Lemstra, M., et al. (2016). Weight loss intervention adherence and factors promoting adherence: a meta-analysis. Patient Preference and Adherence, 10, 1547-1559.