1. American Wellbeing
Annual Update
HPCareer.Net
Dan Witters, Gallup
December 7, 2012
1

2. Our Topics for Today
Part I: Wellbeing in America
Part II: Wellbeing in American Cities
Part III: Wellbeing and the Workplace

3. Part I:
Wellbeing in America:
Some National Statistics
4

4. ®
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index Overview
 25-year commitment; initiated January 2, 2008.
 1,000 completed surveys per day, 7 days per week, 350 days per year.
 About n=353,000 completed surveys per year
 English and Spanish, Landline (n=600) and Cell (n=400)
 96%+ coverage of U.S. adult population
 1.7 million completed surveys and counting since 2008
 Sampling error for one year of U.S. data for any given item is about +/-0.2%.

5. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index:
A Comprehensive Approach to Measuring Wellbeing
Gallup-Healthways tracks 55 items that comprise six core sub-indexes to provide leaders
with a comprehensive metric that covers six key interrelated areas of wellbeing:
Life Evaluation
Ranking one’s life today and in the future
Emotional Health
Daily feelings; Clinical depression
Physical Health
Chronic conditions, obesity, physical pain, cold/flu
Well-Being Index
Healthy Behaviors Composite Score
Smoking, healthy eating, exercise
(Average of six sub-indexes)
Work Environment
Using strengths, supervisor relationships
Basic Access
Healthcare, community satisfaction, money for basics
6

6. There is Range in Wellbeing in America, and it is
Consistently Highly Regionalized
7

7. Overall Wellbeing Among the 50 States:
The Top 10 and Bottom 11 in 2011
1. Hawaii 40. Tennessee, Nevada (tie)
2. North Dakota 42. Florida
3. Minnesota 43. Missouri
4. Alaska 44. Arkansas
5. Utah 45. Alabama
6. Colorado 46. Ohio
7. Kansas
47. Delaware
8. Nebraska
48. Mississippi
9. New Hampshire
49. Kentucky
10. Montana
50. West Virginia
8

8. Obesity in America:
Trends and Costs
9

9. Some National Health Statistics Everyone Should Know
1. The U.S. spent an estimated $2.5 trillion on healthcare in 2009
(CDC), or about 17.3 cents for every dollar spent anywhere for
any reason.
2. By 2019, the U.S. is projected to spend $4.5 trillion on
healthcare – 19.3 cents our of every dollar spent.
3. 70% of all medical costs are associated with chronic, mostly
preventable diseases (CDC).
4. Total direct incremental annual healthcare costs for an obese
person are estimated at $1,429 relative to those of normal
weight individuals. This adds up to $147 billion every year to
the U.S. cost of healthcare (NIH/HHS).
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 10

10. Some National Health Statistics Everyone Should Know
6. George Washington University researchers estimated that
annual incremental costs rise to $4,879 for a woman and
$2,646 for a man when employee sick days, lost productivity,
and even the need for extra fuel at the gas pump, are all figured
in.
7. If the nation’s largest 188 metropolitan areas were to reach the
CDC’s stated goal of 15% obesity, $32 billion annually in
healthcare costs would be saved.
8. In 2011, only three cities in the U.S. met this goal. (Boulder,
CO, 12.1%; Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT, 14.5%; Fort
Collins-Loveland, CO, 14.6%.)
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 11

11. U.S. Obesity Map, 2011
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 12

12. The Good News is that Obesity is Starting to Trend
Down in the U.S.
28.0%
27.0% 26.8% 26.9% 26.8%
26.7%
26.5% 26.4%
26.2% 26.2% 26.2%
25.8% 26.3%
26.0% 26.2% 26.2% 26.1%
26.1%
25.7% 25.8%
25.0% 25.2%
25.1%
24.0%
23.0%
Q108 Q208 Q308 Q408 Q109 Q209 Q309 Q409 Q110 Q210 Q310 Q410 Q111 Q211 Q311 Q411 Q112 Q212 Q312
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Obesity is Shockingly High for Middle Aged Blacks
and Hispanics in the U.S.
50.0%
41.0%
39.0%
40.0%
34.5% National Adults
31.6% 35.2%
30.8% Blacks
30.0% 28.3% 30.3%
24.2% 29.5% Hispanics
26.3% 24.7% Whites
19.8% 23.5% Asians
20.0%
18.2%
16.9%
9.0% 8.9%
10.0% 6.4% 10.0%
0.0%
18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
14

14. The 10 Most Obese Metros in America in 2011
1. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX (38.8%)
2. Binghamton, NY (37.6%)
3. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH (36.0%)
4. Rockford, IL (35.5%)
5. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (33.8%)
6. Charleston, WV (33.8%)
7. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (33.5%)
8. Topeka, KS (33.3%)
9. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA (33.2%)
10. Reading, PA (32.7%)
15

15. Obesity Costs American Cities a LOT of Money in
Incremental Health Care Costs
Savings in
Metropolitan Statistical Healthcare Costs
Area % Obese at 15% Obesity
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 38.8 $252,067,278
Binghamton, NY 37.6 $79,024,906
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 36.0 $85,712,906
Rockford, IL 35.5 $103,621,091
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 33.8 $101,678,603
Charleston, WV 33.8 $81,727,700
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 33.5 $154,231,334
Topeka, KS 33.3 $60,362,092
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 33.2 $63,887,901
Reading, PA 32.7 $102,975,348
16

16. Part II:
Wellbeing in American Cities
17

17. Overall Wellbeing Among Metro Areas:
The Top 10 and Bottom 10 in 2011
1. Lancaster, PA 181. Mobile, AL
2. Charlottesville, VA 182.Charleston, WV
3. Ann Arbor, MI 183.Utica-Rome, NY
4. Provo-Orem, UT 184.Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
5. Boulder, CO 185.Hickory-Lenoir, NC
6. Honolulu, HI 186.Port St. Lucie, FL
7. Santa Barbara, CA 187.Fort Smith, AR-OK
8. San Jose, CA 188.Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
9. Fort Collins, CA 189.Flint, MI
10. Appleton, WI 190.Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH
18

18. Wellbeing in America’s Cities:
What Sets High Wellbeing Cities Apart?
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 19

19. What Characteristics Do High Wellbeing Cities Have in Common?
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 20

20. The Residents of the Top 10 Wellbeing Cities in America…
 Learn new and interesting things each day.
 Have very low rates of clinical depression.
 Have supervisors at work that treat them like partners, not bosses.
 Have a lot of energy each day.
 Have low rates of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure,
high cholesterol and diabetes.
 Have low rates of obesity.
 Have very few smokers.
 Find it easy to get clean and safe water.
 Have safe places to exercise.
 Have enough money to buy food at all times.
 Visit the dentist each year.
21

21. What Characteristics Do Low Wellbeing Cities Have in Common?
Copyright © 2011 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 22

22. The Residents of the Bottom 10 Wellbeing Cities…
 Have poor emotional health: high daily stress and anger; low daily
happiness and enjoyment; high rates of clinical depression.
 Work under supervisors that create low-trust environments.
 Are poorly rested, have low daily energy, and have a lot of headaches.
 Have high rates of high blood pressure and diabetes.
 Have high rates of recurring, chronic pain in the neck, back, knee and
legs.
 Are heavy smokers.
 Do not exercise regularly.
 Have comparatively poor access to clean and safe water, affordable fruits
and vegetables, and medicine.
 Have comparatively poor access to safe places to exercise.
 Do not consistently have enough money for healthcare and medicine.
23

23. Large vs. Small:
Wellbeing from Big Cities to Rural Communities

24. Residents of Small Towns and Rural Areas are
Stronger than Residents of Large Metro Areas in:
 Eating healthy generally.
 Having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables at least four times
per week.
 Feeling safe walking alone at night.
 Getting to use their strengths at work.
 Working in a high-trust environment.
 Having lower stress and worry.
25

25. Residents of Large Metro Areas are Stronger than
Residents of Small Towns and Rural Areas in:
 Having optimism for the future (rating life 5 years from now).
 Learning new and interesting things each day.
 Having lower rates of clinical depression.
 Health not preventing normal activities.
 Having lower rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and cancer.
 Having lower rates of chronic physical pain.
 Having lower rates of obesity.
 Having fewer smokers.
 Finding it easier to get affordable fruits and vegetables and medicine.
 Having enough money for healthcare and medicine.
 Visiting the dentist at least once per year.
 Having health insurance.
26

26. Does Wellbeing Matter? Examining Its Impact on Cities

27. Crime in American Cities
424: The average number of violent crimes
incidents per 100,000 residents in 2008 among
the 343 Metro Areas with reportable FBI Crime
Statistics.
3,307: The average number of Property Crime
incidents per 100,000 residents in 2008.
28

28. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
Basic Access Index (BAI) Metrics
 Satisfied with city; City getting better as place to live
 Easy to get clean and safe water
 Easy to get affordable fruits and vegetables
 Easy to get medicine
 Easy to find safe places to exercise.
 Feel safe walking alone at night
 Enough money to by food at all times
 Enough money to provide adequate shelter or housing at all times
 Enough money to pay for health care and/or medicines at all times
 Visited the dentist last 12 months
 Have personal doctor
 Have health insurance coverage
29

29. Violent Crime Per 100,000 Residents is Much Lower in
Cities Where the GHWBI Basic Access Index is High
30

30. Low Income Cities with Strong Basic Access Have Lower
Violent Crime Rates than Rich Cities with Weak Basic Access
High Income = Above $63,000 Average Household Annual Income
Medium Income = $57,000 to <$63,000 Average Household Annual Income
Low Income = Under $57,000 Average Household Annual Income
31

31. High School Graduation in American Cities
Among the 45 Largest Cities, the
Average High School Graduation
Rate is just 53.9%.
Nationwide, it is 70.6%.
32

32. High School Graduation Rates Climb Higher Where
Wellbeing is Greatest Among the 45 Largest Cities
The Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI) method to calculate graduation rates.
The CPI estimates the probability that a student in the ninth grade will complete high school on time (i.e. in four years) with a regular diploma.
The CPI is currently the best measure available for cross-state comparisons of graduation rates.
33

33. Part III:
Wellbeing and the Workplace
34

34. Defining Employee Engagement:
12 Critical Psychological Needs in the Workplace
1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good
work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

35. The State of Engagement in the American Workplace
30% 52% 18%
“Engaged” “Not Engaged” “Actively
Disengaged”
Copyright © 2005 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved.

36. Daily Mood
Happiness-Enjoyment without Stress-Worry
3737

37. Enjoyment-Happiness Without Stress-Worry:
The Role of Engagement at Work
Engaged Disengaged
80
70 Double the drop on
Mondays
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Copyright © 2009 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 38

38. Life Evaluation – Thriving, Struggling, and Suffering
“Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to
ten at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you
and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you.’”
“On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”
“On which step do you think you will stand about five years from now?”
Thriving 7/8
Struggling
Suffering 4/4

39. Workers in Bad Jobs Have Worse Wellbeing Than Jobless
40

40. Actively Disengaged Workers and Jobless in Equally Poor Health
41

41. Actively Disengaged Workers and Jobless in Equally Poor Health
42

42. Engaged Workers Immune to Stress From Long Commutes
43

43. Odds of Being Diagnosed with Depression In Next Year:
10.0%
9.0%
8.8%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
6.0%
5.0% 4.6%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Engaged in career Not engaged in career Actively disengaged in
career
Gallup Panel of U.S. households 2008-2009 n=7,993
Copyright © 2009, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 44

44. The Current State: A Gallup Study of 13,800 Randomly
Selected Employees Across the United States
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following:
“I have substantially higher overall wellbeing because of the employer I work for today.”
35%
30% 29%
25% 24%
20%
Percentage
20%
15% 14%
10% 8%
5%
5%
0%
Strongly 2.00 3.00 4.00 Strongly Don't
disagree agree know
Gallup Panel of U.S. households (weighted)
September 2009
Copyright © 2009, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 45

45. Odds of Being Actively Disengaged in Your Job:
45%
40%
40%
35%
30%
25% 22%
20%
15%
10%
5%
1%
0%
If your manager If your manager If your manager does
focuses on your focuses on your not focus on your
strengths weaknesses weaknesses or strengths
(Ignored)
2005 random sample of U.S. full-time/part-time workers n=1,000
46

46. To stay up to date on our
wellbeing discoveries, visit:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/wellbeing.aspx
Dan Witters
Principal
Gallup
Omaha, NE
(402) 938-6457
dan_witters@gallup.com