Parties (feast days) have become increasingly frequent and abundant, in terms of food, on the island of Guam. Considering the potential impact of this frequency and abundance on food intake, this study compared food intake during feast days and non-feast days of women in Guam (25 Chamorros; 24 Filipinas). The women (≥40 yr) recalled foods they usually consumed during feast days. Subsequently, a 24-hour dietary recall for a non-feast day was completed by a subsample (n=25). Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured to assess obesity status. Statistical analyses (paired t-test, ANOVA, and chi-square test) were performed with SPSS. Compared to a non-feast day, the women reported higher intakes of dietary energy (2645.0 ± 1125.8 versus 1654.0 ± 718.8 kcal/day), carbohydrates (43.8 ± 11.5% versus 51.8 ± 10.2% of kcal), total fat (34.1 ± 7.8% versus 27.5 ± 9.6% of kcal), saturated fat (11.4 ± 4.7% versus 7.9 ± 3.4% of kcal), and sugar (89.5 ± 62.8 versus 47.3 ± 42.2 g/day) on feast days. Chamorros, compared to Filipinas, reported higher dietary energy density (1.7 ± 0.4 versus 1.4 ± 0.3 kcal/g), total fat (35.3 ± 8.9% versus 30.7 ± 6.8% of kcal), and saturated fat (12.4 ± 4.9% versus 9.4 ± 3.3% of kcal); and lower servings of fruit (0.5 ± 1.0 versus 2.7 ± 1.8) on feast days. Fourteen Chamorros (56.0%) and one Filipina (4.1%) were classified as obese. Current feasting behaviors of women in Guam may contribute to obesity if continued for a long period. The women would benefit by choosing more fruit and vegetable dishes in place of high-energy dishes. Chamorro women would particularly benefit by reducing saturated fat intake. Traditional foods, such as taro, breadfruit, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, would help accomplish this and thus should be promoted at parties on Guam.

Demogrpahic data for the island of Yap in Micronesia indicate 3 significant features: 1) the Yapese have very high marriage and divorce rates; 2) fertility is much higher for women born after 1926 than for older women; and 3) there is a statistically significant negative correlation between number of spouses and number of pregnancies in women born before 1926 and a positive correlation for women born after 1926. It has been argued that this is due to the prevalence of genito-urinary disease in the Yapese population prior to World War 2, since this disease is known to have adverse effects on fertility. The more sexual partners a woman had, the greater her chances of contracting the disease. When the United States government introduced antibiotics to the island in 1946, the situation changed. It is proposed that marriage and divorce customs prior to World war 2 are an example of a maladaptive cultural practice which contributed to the declining population of the island.