ʻO le fogavaʻa e tasi, in Samoan, means “One Family”. Food production and consumptions patterns shape the life of the family and the community in American Samoa, a small island archipelago in the South Pacific. As a developing country, American Samoa faces poverty and lack of food security. Within the past forty years it has also developed an obesity epidemic. American Samoa is “a global harbinger” of how obesity and related diseases may emerge in other developing countries, making this situation an urgent global challenge (“Obesity in Samoa”). This paper will explore food production and consumption American Samoans, analyze the ramifications of obesity for a typical family, and propose a three-part plan to solve this problem. The typical family in American Samoa consists of a nuclear family with an average of three children, the father’s grandparents, and extended family, adding up to seven …show more content…
Scientists had postulated that people of Pacific Island heritage may have genetic predisposition to obesity on a western diet, due to thrifty metabolism that had evolved in harsh environmental conditions (“Obesity in Samoa”). Culturally, many community celebrations center around abundant food. Tall stature and high body weight are traditionally perceived as beautiful and, together with sedentary lifestyle, signify prosperity and social status [source]. Because of this, people may be unaware of the difference between being obese and having good muscle mass; indeed, in one survey, most overweight teens thought their weight was normal (“Prevalence of Obesity in American Samoan School Children”). Finally, American Samoa has a very young population: 46.1% of people are under the age of 24, and the median age is 27 (“People and Society: American Samoa”). Therefore, these already dire obesity statistics apply to young people whose health issues will only worsen as they