Health decline

Americans report a lower well-being score for the first time in three years

This article was published on 01.18.18

For 10 years, pollster Gallup has calculated Americans’ well-being based on questions in the categories of purpose, social, financial, community and, of course, physical. To date, more than 2.5 million people have participated in the survey, the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. In 2017, for the first time in three years, respondents reported a decline in well-being, according to information released last Wednesday (Jan. 10). Gallup editors mined the data and picked the most important findings of the year, which include the following:

• The rate of uninsured Americans rose—to 12.3 percent from 10.9 percent in 2016.

• Large cities top small towns—mainly attributed to higher physical well-being.

• People over age 45 get the most emotional health benefits from exercise.

• Obese people are four times as likely to get diabetes than most Americans.

• Eating healthfully is linked to a lower likelihood of depression.

• Day-to-day worry is up significantly since Donald Trump was elected president.

Source: news.gallup.com