Friday, June 05, 2009

Jamie Maxtone-Graham loses 65kg...and saves his life

The new-look Jamie Maxtone-Graham

Less than two years ago, after the 2007 national elections, Angalimp- South Wahgi MP Jamie Maxtone-Graham was a disaster waiting to happen.
Tipping at scales at 165kg, the big man was obese, unfit, depressed, and was basically about to die.
But one day, 18 months ago, Mr Maxtone-Graham decided that enough was enough and turned his back on the lifestyle that was killing him.
He also turned to the Christian faith for answers.
Since then, the big man has lost a whopping 65kg, and looks leaner and meaner than he has ever been in his life.
When I met him last Sunday, the first time I had done so in two years, he was no longer the same fat old Jamie Maxtone-Graham who was living on borrowed time.
Running shoes, sports short and shirt made him look like an athelete, a lot younger than his 50-odd years.
Mr Maxtone-Graham wants Papua New Guineans to give up their bad habits like drinking, smoking, poor diet (including lamb flaps), and drugs as well as exercise more and find peace and solace in the teachings of the Bible.
This is timely as Sunday May 31 was World No Tobacco Day.
He practices what he preaches and sugar, soft drinks, and all processed foods are now definite ‘no-nos’ for him and his family.
Mr Maxtone-Graham already talks on radio about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and wants to write about it in a weekly newspaper column, as well as a blog on the Internet.
“Why did I get interested in my health?” he poses to me.
“Bascially, I had a serious health problem.
“I was a walking disaster.
“I was extremely obese at 165kg.
“I had gout, I had shortness of breath, high blood sugar, and I was extremely tired, fatigued.
“I was a sick animal as a result of my overindulgence in a life of living in the city, being an MP, and all the trappings that go with it like dinners, cocktails, parties.
“That was the life that I was living.
“It forced me to become more depressed and I was eating more and more.
“One day, two years ago, I had serious chest pains.
“I was suffering from angina (chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood).
“The doctor checked me and said my blood pressure was extremely high, my cholesterol was extremely high, my blood sugar was extremely high, my triglycerides (chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body) was extremely high, my uric acid (chemical created when the body breaks down substances called purines) was extremely high.
“My tests showed that 80% of the blood vessels to the heart were blocked.
“I was clogged up by the fat that I had eaten over many years and I was about to die of heart attack.
“The doctor looked at me and said, ‘you’re in a very critical condition.You need to take stock of your health and do something’.
“The doctor shocked me and I let go of everything.
“I started changing my diet and my lifestyle, and did more exercise.”
Mr Maxtone-Graham, an avid reader, went through several books, the Internet, and watched health programmes on YouTube to get a good picture of health and nutrition.
Cathy and Robert Badui, a couple who preach the message of good health in PNG, were a great inspiration.
Mr Maxtone-Graham found hope in American Dr Thomas Jackson of M.E.E.T Ministry, who teaches God’s plan based on eight health messages in the bible.
M.E.E.T. Ministry - http://www.meetministry.org/ - teaches the body was designed by the Creator to heal itself.
People need to be educated as to how to cooperate with nature, learning accessible, practical life-style principles: Godly Trust; Open Air; Daily Exercise; Proper Rest; Lots of Water; Always Temperate; and Nutrition.
Stress – distress - is killing people, according to the ministry, so it teaches people how to manage stress through the eyes of God.
“My life was in peril until then,” Mr Maxtone-Graham recalls.
“I accepted God as my creator and Jesus as my saviour.
“I now eat home-grown garden food.
“I don’t eat anything that’s manufactured or processed.
“I don’t eat any meat and I’m a total vegetarian.
“I’ve never been sick for the last 18 months.
“I’ve got more energy now.
“I do exercises in the gym, do cardio exercises, boxing, I run on the treadmill, I swim, and I play rugby touch.
“I’ve discovered that health is more valuable than all the gold and money in the world
He encourages fellow Papua New Guineans: “People neglect their health in pursuit of wealth, only to lose all their wealth to regain their health in the final days of their lives.
“Money doesn’t give happiness.
‘Money gives more and more problems.
“As the people reach 50 or 60, they are already falling apart
“Let’s not end up like this.
“Let’s not leave our health too late.
“I’m a believer in preventative measures rather than curative medicine.
“It’s a lot cheaper and wiser to do this.
“I want to share my experiences with other Papua New Guineans as I don’t want to see them dropping dead at an early age.
“I feel that someone has to champion the cause of a healthy lifestyle in this country.
“My message to the people of Papua New Guinea is that we don’t need Western food and Western lifestyles.
“We must go back to our traditional food.
“It’s the healthiest food in the world.”
Mr Maxtone-Graham can be contacted on email jamiemaxtonegraham@gmail.com.

15 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:05 AM

    HE IS NOT COMPETENT TO WRITE ON HEALTH ISSUES EXCEPT PLAGERISES (COPY AND PASTE FROM INTERNET SITES). HE SHOULD PUT HIS QUALIFICATION BESIDES HIS NAME SO THAT PEOPLE WILL KNOW HE COMMANDS RESPECT IN HIS COLUMN. HE IS A SHAMBLE TO INTELECTUAL PNG'S. PNGEANS ARE NO FOOL LIKE HIM! GET A LIFE JAMMIE.
    JIWAKAN

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    1. Well, he is doing the right things unlike other intelects who are so silent.. we need spirational leaders that would state their lifestyle. qualification is just the measure of what aquired but practicality is the substance in life.

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    2. listen mate why dont you get off your computer screen and go loose 65kgs and then try help the world with things you have expeienced instead of judging people on theirs.

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    3. He doesn't seem to be "commanding respect". He's worthy of the respect because he respects himself enough to change the path he's on. Stop being a troll on the internet. This article wasn't written by Mr. Maxton Graham, so your claim of plagiarism makes you the fool. And the only shamble here is the person crying wolf about qualifications where someone shares life experiences to encourage other people to save themselves from self destruction. It's brave to come out and say you're obese, its courageous to do something about it. Don't hide behind anonymity and a provincial name (you give that province a bad name) to shame someone who has nothing to be ashamed of just because what you read offended you.

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  2. Anonymous12:27 AM

    Jamie is not a career person commanding respect in both private and public sector. He was carrying Pius Wingti's brief cases in the corridors of Kapal haus and Waigini. He was given some recognition for being a loyal cat to the office of Eda Ranu. That was short lived as expected of a political appointment. Sliding into depression and bankrupcy he was consoling himself to cigar and lamp flaps and gained excessive weight. Became a corrupt lobyst that soon backfired for RH as we all know...

    Attempt to unseat late Bill Skate for NCDC was futile and another go at South Waghi Anglimp (SWA)Seat was rejected.

    The people of SWA trusted him to bring tangible development to the electorate by giving him the last chance but to their dismay he has failed miserably. He blows big baloons about himself but JIWAKANS are too smart for him. He has now secured himself from the development funds for the people of JIWAKA - that was his only opportunity to bail his bankrupcy state. JIWAKANS have a stake at his lodge in POM and will not let any stone unturned. He will be roasted and crucified. He has NO place in JIWAKAN SOCIETY any more. He can live in POM hosing his ass hole 2 weekly and grow leaner incase someone runes away with his wife .. sori mate, world is closing down on you and you will never raise your head above the waters... there are so many educated pngeans who do not need you. Soon your little tower will crumble and jiwakans will reject you outright in 2012 ... do not ever dream about stepping on the jiwakans soil ever again!!

    Core

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  3. Mangi Kange10:01 PM

    Yes,
    Above comments are genuinely true. We all know JMG will not contest the South Waghi Anglimp seat as the public resentment is explicit.

    He will now try to challenge Andrew Malts in POM but will not suceed as he needs to be accountable to the people of SWA before considering POM... He should simply become a private citizen!!

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  4. Minj115:21 PM

    fuck what you all clowns say!! jmg will come back 2012!! and you can take my word for that!!

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    1. Good luck!!
      Do not forget, he will no longer be a member and therefore no more police escorts ... then see if he is from JIWAKA and if he has any of his tribal people alive to embrace him. He was never sucessful ever in his personal life and career untill recently the JIWAKA people gave him a glimpse of life... now gone and his book will be closed as history!! No More!!

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  5. Anonymous7:10 PM

    Everybody should look in there own backyard before commenting on Jamie and his personal life, I bet whoever you are you have a whole lot of garbage in your backyard you need to tidy up, Jamie has done good for himself in terms of his health and well being. He is an inspiration to many people out there. He has alot of wisdom in that he is trying to educate alot of Papua new guineas on healthy living . In regards to the lodge you claim to belong to the jiwaka people, you should be ashamed of yourself because you don't have any facts to substantiate your claims. You can look but you will never find anything but your investigation will lead you to the loans office at kina finance

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    1. Convenient to say Kina finance eh... We know he is a corrupt lobyst for RH. We know the bank almost repossessed his previous house. We know he contested SWA seat a desperate -broke bastard. We know he borrowed so much money from individuals to fund his election. He was poor before the elections and during his term he has secured his future. We are intelligent to know he used Kina Finance as a face to get away with it. Such a sucker!!! See if he is a man to step on JIWAKA country. Only time will spell his curse, only few months to go... Jamie see if you have balls to walk the same path and trod the same journey

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  6. Jamie Graham may have inspired many people in healthy living, but the stuff he wrote was nothing new, but a 'cut & paste' job thanks to the internet. It was other people's brains, not his original. With respect to Wellness Lodge, yes definately he has a lot to answer to the people of South Waghi Anglimp (SWA). It's clearly the people's money that was invested there. Should we call it a PPPP (public-private partnership project)? It was common knowledge he went broke soon after the unsuccessful attempt to oust Bill Skate in 2002. In desperation his wife abondoned him only to be hunted down by his tribesmen. Then it was a fluke shot he came home in the 2004 SWA by-election. His house was soon back in order, thanks to the ignorant people of SWA, they bailed him out of bankruptcy. He tried to do some work in haste to safe his face but the Kaiwi-Somare regime made it tough for him. The rest of the money he collected from DSIP Waigani got syphoned off by him and his cohorts under the pretext of project claims. On the claim of stiff opposition he convinced the people of SWA to put him back in 2007. He put up two billboards - one at Kuli Gap and the other at Minj Rot Bung, proclaiming his policy platforms. The heading was "Ignorance is Sin - Knowledge is Power". Hail, he should live his words now. The last government dished out K10.0mill annually in DSIP, all the better for his empire. Those millions are sunk cost in Wellness now. You could trace it to Kina Finance loan books or wherever but let me tell you one thing - you can trace it everwhere you like, but at the end of the day, there is only one source - SWA District Treasury, don't forget. The fraud squad are hot in pursuit and Wellness is definately high on the priority list. God help Wellness Accountants to clear his name. Good luck...

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    1. Can you update us with latest of the accusations you laid against Late.Jamie?. You fucking internet troll. Cunt

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    2. blah blah. Baseless Assumption.

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  7. If you read the artical its talking about his great Weight loss NOT his Election!

    Why dont you all go out and loose 65kgs and then complain!

    READ BEFORE YOU WEEP

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  8. For the records. Jamie is a certified recognized Heath Therapist. His legacy will live on as the HEALTH GURU OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA!, Ask google for Jamie Maxtone-Graham, the shame platform you all went on to assume he does copy/paste. Na yupla? what have you all got against your names?. Jerk Shit! Go get a life and do something more productive rather than shitting on your own countryman! The Late Jamie Maxtone - Graham was a living testimony who prolonged his by 25yrs.

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