BSCN logo

BMI Calculator

Weight: Height:

Your BMI is:

Interpreting Your BMI

BMI	Weight Category
Under 18.5	Underweight
18.5- 24.9	Normal
25 - 29.9	Overweight
30 - 34.9	Obese
35 - 39.9	Clinically Obese
40 or greater	Morbidly Obese

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a general indicator of whether or not you are maintaining a healthy weight based on the ratio of your weight to your height. It’s an imperfect scale as it doesn't account for differences in body types. For example, a 5 foot 9 inch bodybuilder who weighs 215 pounds and has a 6% body fat would be labeled obese. And there is already a new scale just for people from Southeast Asia where the ranges are lowered.

While it can be a good indicator of the healthiness of your weight if you fall within certain statistical norms that were used to develop it, it should be taken with a significant grain of salt and should not be used as a substitute for a professional evaluation of your health by a doctor.

Contact Us

Center for Weight Management
20 Research Place
North Chelmsford, MA 01863

Phone: 877-LGH-WELL
Phone: 978-788-7200
TTY: 978-937-6889

Wendy & Don Sheppard (from Westford)

Home
Services & Specialties
Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery
Success Stories
Wendy & Don Sheppard (from Westford)

LGH's Own "Big Losers" Reclaim Their Lives

Gastric Bypass Gives Wendy and Don Sheppard New Bodies, Confidence, Vitality

When asked what's next after winning the Super Bowl, professional athletes proclaim, "I'm going to Disneyworld!" When Don and Wendy Sheppard lost more than 440 lbs. between them after gastric bypass surgery, they also celebrated their victory with a trip to the iconic Florida theme park.

"And we fit into every single ride!" Don says.

Wendy & Don Sheppard Before Wendy & Don Sheppard After It wasn't always that way. In 2006, Wendy weighed in at 400 lbs. at her annual physical. She had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, pre-diabetes and a host of "female problems" that had culminated in a hysterectomy two years before. She couldn't walk without getting out of breath; she couldn't even wash dishes without breaking into a sweat.

"Still, I was horrified when my primary care doctor asked me to consider gastric bypass surgery," Wendy recalls. "I thought surgery meant giving up; it sounded way too scary. So I asked for more time to take the weight off myself."

A year later, she still weighed 400 lbs.

"I hung my head and asked my doctor who she recommended for gastric bypass," Wendy says. It was the Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery at Lowell General Hospital. Wendy, then 41, underwent surgery in November 2007.

Her husband Don, 43, followed three months later. "I'd topped out at 366 lbs., I was tired all the time, had high blood pressure, and could do less and less with our kids," he says. "I felt I was running out of time."

Today, Wendy has lost 247 lbs., and Don has lost 195 lbs. - both surpassing their goal weight. Now at 153 and 167 lbs., respectively, they've gained a remarkable new lease on life.

"We're both able to wake up and feel rested - no more sleep apnea," Wendy says. "Neither of us takes blood pressure medication now, and I'm no longer pre-diabetic. We go horseback riding, bike riding, kayaking...we've even climbed Mt. Monadnock," she adds.

"I feel more confident," adds Don. "Plus, I can fit in an airplane seat, and go to baseball games and concerts, which my kids enjoy, too."

With their newfound vitality, confidence and self-awareness, Wendy and Don also serve as Bariatric Patient Ambassadors for the Center, providing support and information from a patient perspective.

"It helps us walk the walk, to give back and educate others," says Don.

"The Center says that the first 100 lbs. of weight loss comes from using the tools of bypass surgery," Wendy says. "The rest is up to us - exercise, eating right. We're doing that, and we feel proud."

To hear from more of our patients, click here to watch videos from our Healthy Bodies, Healthy Lives event. Visit all three Success Stories tabs. Each video features four patients, one including Donald Sheppard.

Click here to learn if you are a candidate for Surgical Treatment and find out when you can attend one of our FREE Weight Management Information Sessions.