In short, "Specifically, these proposed regulations would increase the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program offered in connection with a group health plan (and any related health insurance coverage) from 20 percent to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. The proposed regulations would further increase the maximum permissible reward to 50 percent for wellness programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use. These regulations also include other proposed clarifications regarding the reasonable design of health-contingent wellness programs and the reasonable alternatives they must offer in order to avoid prohibited discrimination."

Now the real experts will tell you there's not much new in the latest DOL announcement, but what it does do with this interpretation/implementation of the Affordable Care Act is give employers much more freedom and authority to start dealing with their own health care costs at their sources: with employees themselves. This should also rev up the engine on an already accelerating consumer-driven health care market.

At last check, roughly three-quarters of employers already offer some kind of wellness plan, so we're getting there.

But we remain our own biggest obstacle: A new study suggests that most of us are unaware how harmful obesity really is. Sure, we can point to heart disease and diabetes, but that's it. And, even worse, few of us apparently talk to our doctors about exercise.

So we've made a lot of progress over the last few years, but there's still much more to do. And communication at the workplace is crucial.