¹Department of Anthropology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA;

²Department of Medicine and Community Health, Brown University School of Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, USA

³Department of Anthropology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

⁴Department of Community Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

^aCorrespondence: Dr Alexandra A Brewis, Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-1619, USA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess attitudes to body size and obesity in Samoans, a Pacific island group characterised by very high levels of obesity and traditionally strong positive cultural views of large bodies.

DESIGN: Cross sectional study of Samoan adults in Samoa and New Zealand.

SUBJECTS: 84 female and 77 male Samoans in Samoa and 41 female and 24 male Samoans in Auckland, New Zealand, aged 25-55 y.

MEASUREMENT: Body mass index (BMI), standardised survey questionnaires of perceptions of bodyweight and health, diet and exercise, and perception of body sizes on a continuous scale.

RESULTS: Although Samoans in both countries display high population levels of obesity, ideal body sizes are slim and body dissatisfaction and attempted weight losses were apparent. However, women and men above normal weight did not characteristically perceive themselves as obese, were as positive about their body size, weight and health, and obese women were no more likely to be attempting to lose weight than their slimmer peers.

CONCLUSIONS: The traditional Samoan veneration of large bodies is not apparent as ideal body sizes are slim. An important difference in values with Western industrialised societies is the absence of a strongly negative view of obesity.

body image; body satisfaction; Pacific island; Samoa; New Zealand