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We reported yesterday on a Gallup survey that showed that “obesity and smoking are needlessly costing the U.S. economy nearly a half-trillion dollars annually.”

Today, more news from Gallup, this time more positive: “Millennials — America's youngest generation of adults and workers, born between 1980 and 1996 — appear to be helping national well-being and the economic engine they so significantly influence.”

To begin, obesity and diabetes diagnoses are down for this group.

States the report: “Since 2008, obesity has climbed by at least three percentage points for all generations except millennials, for whom obesity has actually declined by more than 0.5 points. Diabetes diagnoses have also decreased for millennials — by 0.5 points in 2015, compared with the 19- to 35-year-old group in 2008 — while they have continued to increase among all other generations.”

But their positive impact goes further, and might be of note to workplace wellness program designers who are looking for employees to model.

Gallup: “Millennials are also taking a leading role in other key aspects of well-being. Exercise, which is essential for preventing obesity and managing daily stress, has climbed substantially since 2008 among millennials, compared with virtually no change among non-millennials. Reports of significant daily stress — which generally decrease with age — have climbed since 2008 among all generations except millennials. Consistent with their age, millennials' stress rates are higher, but the rate of change from 2008 to 2015 is flat.”

And importantly, they — along with Gen Xers, smoke less: “Although the nation's youngest adults are historically the generation most likely to smoke, millennials — coupled with Gen Xers — have taken the lead in Americans' overall drop in smoking over the past several years. The two youngest adult generations have reduced their respective smoking rates by more than three percentage points. Combined, they have decreased their smoking rate at twice the pace of their older counterparts since 2008.”