Today Samoans and pacific people are seen as “Big People.” Last year scientific research done in New Zealand found that a gene was a factor that could potentially contribute to obesity for people of Polynesian heritage. While I cannot dispute the findings of this research, it is important to note that this accounts for less than 5% of our weight problems. Clearly Samoan life-style, particularly the cultural way be use food, is responsible for disturbing declines in our health. Obesity was not a significant problem in the early days of colonialism, but it certainly is today.