The South and Midwest aren’t doing as well as the rest of the country — at least, according to the most recent edition of the Gallup-Healthways well-being index.

In its report on the index, Gallup and Healthways examined well-being across the country, looking at such factors as how well-being varies by state and which states do better or worse in each of the five elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community and physical.

There has been some improvement in specific areas, such as historically low smoking rates, which have fallen from more than 21.1 percent at the index’s inception in 2008 to 18.0 percent; historically high rates of exercise; and the highest scores on health care access measures, including health insurance coverage.

In fact, with the greatest number of Americans covered by health insurance and visiting the dentist, Americans are also reporting the lowest rates of health care insecurity since 2008, as measured by not being able to afford health care once in the last 12 months.

However, all is not well with well-being. Not only have obesity, diabetes and depression rates climbed to their highest levels since the study began in 2008 (to 28.4 percent, 11.6 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively), the percentage of Americans who report healthy eating all day during the previous day is at a nine-year low.

In addition, different parts of the country are in different places, literally, when it comes to well-being. Regional patterns include generally higher levels of well-being in the northern plains states, the Mountain West and some Atlantic states, while states in the South and Midwest “consistently lag in key well-being elements.”

Alaska and Hawaii, separated from the rest of the country geographically, have historically recorded high well-being, while West Virginia and Kentucky have recorded the lowest well-being in the nation for the past eight years in a row.

Overall, well-being has risen, with 55.4 percent of American adults “thriving,” compared to 48.9 percent in 2008. However, when one remembers that’s just a little more than half, it’s not exactly a glowing recommendation for the state of the country’s residents.

Employers that wish to foster a culture of well-being, the report says, “need to think about work experience from the employee point of view and consider how policies, structures and workplace culture affect employee well-being.”

It continues, “To that point, managers play a vital role in both employee engagement and well-being. Gallup research shows managers influence 70 percent of their team’s engagement, and engaged workers are 28 percent more likely to participate in a wellness program.”

Instant Insights /

Some U.S. regions lag far behind in well-being

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