MALAMALAMA AGA O LE KANESA Many American Samoans are taking
recent reports about our community’s high rate of obesity and
resulting diabetes and heart disease seriously. This is
evidenced by the increased number of walkers at the OMV, the
increase in physical activity at Lion’s Park playgrounds, the
success of the ‘Biggest Loser’ program and development of
initiatives like ‘Fit 4 Life’. By taking action our community
has demonstrated that we can improve our health status without
fancy equipment, a huge federal grant or more government
agencies. If each individual takes responsibility for his or her
own health and makes the necessary lifestyle changes to improve
health we can reverse the current trend towards high death rates
from chronic diseases and increased risk for various types of
cancer. The Encarta World English Dictionary defines health as
“the general condition of the body or mind, especially in terms
of the presence or absence of illnesses, injuries, or
impairments.” The World Health Organization de