HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pawson, I G Articles by Janes, C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pawson, I G Articles by Janes, C

Massive obesity in a migrant Samoan population.

I G Pawson and C Janes

Peoples of the Pacific Islands tend to become overweight when they migrate or are exposed to modernization in situ. Recent evidence suggests that Samoans are particularly susceptible, exhibiting a high prevalence of obesity and hypertension following migration to Hawaii. We report the preliminary results of a survey of height, weight, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) among an urbanized Samoan community the the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the participants' average height fell between the 25th and 50th percentile of the US population, about one-half our sample exceeded the 95th percentile for weight. The extreme overweight was accompanied by elevated blood pressure and, in females, by elevated FPG. The massive adult weight of migrants from the Pacific Islands carries serious public health implications for areas that support large migrant communities.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Levy-Storms and J. E. Lubben Network composition and health behaviors among older Samoan women. J Aging Health, December 1, 2006; 18(6): 814 - 836. [Abstract] [PDF]