The earliest photographs of Samoans provide visual proof of the native population's natural physique before the introduction of processed foods by Western society. The arrival of fast food restaurants and other contemporary food items on the islands are one of the issues responsible for the obesity in Samoa. ( November 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Food habits play a role in maintaining social status and hierarchy.

In the Cook Islands, meals and feasts exemplify a level of community. The Cook Islands comprises fifteen small islands and has a local population of about 10,000 people. A survey done in the Marshall Islands revealed that the percentage of the total population considered overweight or obese was 62.5%. Diabetes prevalence in adults in the Marshall Islands in 2011 was 21.8%. In the Marshall Islands in 2008, there were 2000 cases of diabetes out of a population of 53,000. Dr Temo K Waqanivalu, a Fijian representative for WHO, attributes health problems in his country to the replacement of traditional foods by more glamorous imported foods. Research done on globalization's impact on health indicates that the rise in average BMI in Fiji correlates with the increase in imports of processed food. Now, doctors report that they have become common amongst patients in their 20s and 30s. In Fiji, strokes used to be rare in people under 70.

Tongan Royal Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who died in 2006, holds the Guinness World Record for being the heaviest-ever monarch- with a weight of 200 kilograms (440 lb). Up to 40% of the population is said to have type 2 diabetes. Tongan life expectancy used to be in the mid-70s. Life expectancy has fallen to 64 in Tonga. This rate is as high as 45% among the 55–64-year-old age group. Obesity is seen as a sign of wealth in Nauru. % of overweight persons (age 15 and over) A mitigating argument is that the BMI measures used to appraise obesity in Caucasian bodies may need to be adjusted for appraising obesity in Polynesian bodies, which typically have larger bone and muscle mass than Caucasian bodies however, this would not account for the drastically higher rates of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes among these same islanders. In all these cases, more than 70% of citizens age 15 and over are obese. Pacific island nations and associated states make up the top seven on a 2007 list of heaviest countries, and eight of the top ten. Share of adults that are obese in different countries in Oceania, 1975 to 2016

The Fishing Widow by Amy K. Marshall