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It seems that workplace wellness programs have their work cut out for them.

As part of Gallup's “five-part series examining changes in Americans' health and well-being during Barack Obama's presidency,” one piece reviewed “Americans' Health Assessments” over the period.

The piece states: “Americans' self-assessments of overall health have slipped since 2008. Currently, 19.0% of U.S. adults report that their health is ‘excellent,' compared with 22.6% in 2008, before President Barack Obama took office. The percentage of U.S. adults who report “poor” or “fair” health has remained stable during this period at around 20%.”

Some of the bad news had to do with major areas of focus for most well-run workplace wellness programs: Obesity, diabetes, and mental health: “Since 2008, obesity has increased by nearly three points to 28.3%, and lifetime diagnoses of diabetes have increased about one point to 11.5%, a statistically significant climb. Self-reports of clinical diagnoses of depression have also edged up since 2008.” At the same time, the survey found that high cholesterol reports dropped.

Why have obesity and diabetes risen?

The post adds: “The ongoing climb in both obesity and diabetes is likely tied to the decline in Americans' overall self-assessments of their general health. The percentages of adults who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and cancer, however, are essentially unchanged, while the proportion who report having been diagnosed with high cholesterol has noticeably declined. Smoking is linked to high cholesterol, so it is possible that the decline in the high cholesterol rate is related partly to the ongoing decline in smoking that began decades ago and has continued throughout the Obama era. Despite this positive trend, the rising obesity rate remains a significant problem, as its incidence in the population is closely linked to the other chronic conditions.”