More employers are offering them and more employees areinterested in them. Wellness programs are becoming ever morewidespread, and employers are looking at more than dollar signs,considering factors other than return on investment as theyevaluate the results.

Related: Rising workplace stress somewhat offset bytraining

According to UnitedHealthcare’s consumer sentiment survey, there’sa lot of positive action around workplace wellness programs. Moreemployees (73 percent) say they’re interested in them, and thosewho have access to one credit them with improving their health (59percent say so). In fact, 25 percent of employees now own anactivity tracker — that’s up from just 13 percent only lastyear.

And employers are buying in, too; UnitedHealthcare cites aForbes piece which points out their rising popularityand says more than 70 percent of American employers are offeringthem (up from 58 percent in 2008).

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that employees are ready tocommit serious effort to physical fitness or dietary improvements.The survey finds 63 percent of employees are not willing to spendat least an hour a day on health-related activities such asexercise, researching healthy food or recipes or engaging inwellness coaching.

Of course, some are more willing than others; 36 percent saythey’re willing to spend more than an hour a day on improving theirphysical condition.

Related: 7 wellness benefits to maintain employees'zen

One scary thought: The 63 percent who seem to be resolved tostay couch potatoes apparently don’t even know how to estimatefitness targets, or their numbers might be even larger. The surveyfinds 71 percent of employees underestimate the distance necessaryto achieve 10,000 daily steps, an approximate distance of fivemiles. That’s the target some health experts recommend to prevent asedentary lifestyle.

About 28 percent of respondents think 10,000 steps was adistance of two miles; 26 percent estimate three miles; and 17percent say four miles. Only 21 percent correctly estimate it as adistance of five miles.

Related: Wellness programs, financial incentives on therise

The good news? A report from the International Foundation ofEmployee Benefit Plans finds employers are looking beyond ROI asthey evaluate the effectiveness of these plans.

In its Workplace Wellness 2017 Survey Report, IFEBP says 75percent of employers are offering wellness initiatives “primarilyto improve overall worker health and well-being. Only 1 in 4employers say the main reason for offering wellness initiatives isto control/reduce health-related costs,” the report says, addingthat continued increases in productivity and decreases inabsenteeism strengthen the case for such programs.

“Employers are realizing that wellness is not just about cuttinghealth care costs, because wellness is not only about physicalhealth,” Julie Stich, CEBS, associate vice president of content atIFEBP, says in the report. She adds, “Embracing the broaddefinition of wellness has led to a tremendous impact onorganizational health and worker productivity and happiness.”

More than half of the employers who offer such programs andmeasure the results, the report finds, say that they see a decreasein absenteeism. In addition, 63 percent are experiencing financialsustainability and growth in the organization, 66 percent reportedincreased productivity and 67 percent say employees are moresatisfied.

While 77 percent of employers offer free or discounted flushots, many are offering other “emerging” wellness benefits, suchas chiropractic services coverage (62 percent); community charitydrives/events (59 percent); on-site events/celebrations (58percent); wellness competitions like walking/fitness challenges (51percent); healthy food choices in cafeteria or vending machines (44percent); standing/walking work stations (42 percent); and eventhose wearable fitness trackers workers are increasingly using (23percent).

As to why workers aren’t participating more, or moreenthusiastically, the IFEBP report cites the following reasons as“common barriers:” difficulty for workers to find enough time toparticipate (39 percent); dispersed population (27 percent);difficulty maintaining momentum (26 percent); prohibitive costs (25percent); and lack of interest by workers (24 percent).