Beyond the Scale: Dr. Karen Mann on Women’s Health, Weight Loss and Self Worth
This story originally ran on New Jersey Family on March 11 2026. Click here for the original article
Ahead of the upcoming Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness Symposium on March 14 at NJPAC, Let’s Talk spoke with Dr. Karen Mann, Medical Director at Noom, about her work in women’s health and weight management.
Dr. Mann will join the panel for the breakout session “The Truth About Weight Loss Medications, Metabolic Health & Nutrition,” exploring GLP 1 medications, metabolic health, nutrition, and long term wellness. She’ll be joined by moderator Vanessa Freeman, anchor at WPIX Morning News; Vanessa Risetto, cofounder and CEO, Culina Health; Dr. Sheila Sahni, interventional cardiologist and director of the Women’s Heart Program at Sahni Heart Center Hackensack Meridian Health; and a representative from Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey.
Dr. Karen Mann
Looking Beyond Quick Fixes
Dr. Mann, a board, certified OB/GYN and obesity medicine specialist, has built an uncommonly broad yet cohesive foundation of knowledge. She started out as what she describes as a “traditional gynecologist,” but kept feeling that what she was offering was more of a “Band Aid” fix for women.
A life coach and Menopause Society, certified practitioner, Dr. Mann wanted to understand the root causes of the issues and the changes that a woman faces as she ages. Her own personal weight loss journey provided her with firsthand insight into the emphasis our culture has on physical appearances, and how difficult it can be to find a long term solution involving weight management.
As she approached midlife, it became clear to her that many practitioners lacked an adequate degree of education with menopause, and in how to help patients through the often uncomfortable, and sometimes life disrupting changes that come with it.
Dr. Mann set out to challenge the traditional western medical ideology around these topics, hoping to discover something different and something much more innovative was possible. When it came to her own personal experiences with the physical and emotional changes a woman goes through, she said she increasingly learned a lot from her intuition, a kind of inner wisdom.
“It’s become more of a gathering of internal knowledge I accumulated over years of trial and error,” said Dr. Mann, who holds a certificate in nutrition science from Stanford University. “And figuring out that as much as I track my calories, try to get to the gym, and understand my hormones; at the end of the day, there’s really something deeper that influences all of those behaviors—something that is actually more effective than all the other things that I could be doing on the surface.”
“Self love” is firmly rooted in Dr. Mann’s approach, though she admits it has become kind of a buzz word. For her, motivation, taking action, and changing your lifestyle for better health aren’t just about appearance; it’s about feeling your best and building a loving relationship with yourself.
“We’re constantly feeling like we’re having to compare how we look to an ideal that’s really not obtainable,” said Dr. Mann. “I think that beats us down. My goal is to help people understand that true growth comes from getting underneath what you look like on the surface. Show up to the world the way that you are, the way that you look, but be able to draw on something deeper inside that can really carry you and bring meaning to your life and give you room to grow.”
That said, being told to love yourself in a doctor’s office doesn’t always land well. Dr. Mann is in the unique position at Noom where she is able to “marry science” to some of the deeper themes. The focus, instead, is on understanding your own worth, which is a far more powerful motivator for changes in behavior.
But beyond understanding your worth, understanding what’s happening is essential—figuring out what really drives your pattern of behavior, and that everything you’re doing is meeting a need. “Every time you reach for a food that your body or mind says you shouldn’t have, you’re reaching for it for a reason,” says Dr. Mann. “It is important not to dismiss the fact that food can be an addiction like any other addiction, and it can be hard to fight it on your own.”
The Science Behind Behavior Change
Noom’s products are built by using evidence based approaches and scientifically proven principles, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to help people build sustainable habits that last a lifetime. As Noom’s medical director, Dr. Mann helps to create medical protocols, so that from the studies, everything is evidence based. But she also gets to bring in the life coaching perspective and interact with the educational component that Noom “puts out there”. Which is a large part of why Noom is so successful.
As someone who came from traditional medicine, seeing patients every day, Dr. Mann says she used to be limited to a “bucket of things” she could pull from to help her patients. At Noom, she finds it far more nourishing to be able to help people in a very unique and holistic way. Having them experience how every entity of their health is being addressed. The weight loss platform comprehensively integrates psychology, technology, and coaching to help aid individuals so that they are able to build healthier eating habits and achieve sustainable weight loss.
For those seeking additional support, Noom can also provide access to weight loss medication for eligible individuals and guidance to minimize long term reliance on medication.
“We’re living in a reality where medication is a key tool in helping people manage their weight,” said Mann. “And again, it’s not about appearance. These medications may reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes, protect kidney function, and help break the ‘food addiction’ cycle. They are always prescribed along with a comprehensive lifestyle program that includes behavior change, nutrition, and the pillars of health.”
Dr. Mann jokes that as a Gen X’er, she was raised on “hose water and neglect.” But we’ve reached a point where it’s no longer acceptable for us to ignore ourselves, or to overlook the information that’s out there. We deserve to know what is available to solve the challenges that are in front of us. The goal is to feel better and to be healthier. Obesity is a chronic illness. Losing weight improves our health, but it’s more than just that—the process of eating, and the process of caring for the body have so many more components than just taking the medication.
That’s the conversation Dr. Mann hopes to have along with her fellow panelists on March 14 at Let’s Talk. “I’m really excited to be in front of all these women who want to hear about where we are at this point in terms of addressing our metabolic health, and how to think and act differently,” she said. “It’s been a privilege to have the resources to educate myself and then to share what I’ve learned with others. That’s where the joy comes from… getting it out there.”
New Jersey’s biggest day of health and wellness for women, the Let’s Talk Women’s Health & Wellness Symposium will take place March 14 at NJPAC and will feature plenary sessions, breakout discussions, fireside chats, and panel conversations on topics including cancer, fertility, motherhood, menopause, sexual health, mental wellness, and financial health. This is the place for honest, heart to heart storytelling, practical health education, unexpected joy, and conversations about every facet of your well being. The event will also include a wellness lounge and marketplace.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.letstalkwellwomen.org/symposium 2026 and use code NJFAMILY30 to get 30 percent off tickets.
