Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

How to use the waist-to-hip ratio calculator

Choose centimetres or inches and your sex, then enter your waist and hip circumferences. The calculator shows your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), your risk level using World Health Organization (WHO) cut-offs, your body shape, and how your waist measurement compares with waist-only thresholds. Add your height to also see your waist-to-height ratio, a newer measure that works well for everyone regardless of sex or ethnicity.

How to measure

• Stand upright with feet together and arms relaxed. Breathe out gently and measure at the end of the breath.
• Waist: WHO protocol measures midway between the lower edge of the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest). This is often close to the navel.
• Hip: around the widest part of the buttocks, keeping the tape level.
• Keep the tape snug but not compressing the skin, and measure over bare skin or light clothing.

The waist-to-hip ratio formula

Because both measurements use the same units, the ratio has no units — you get the same answer in centimetres or inches.

Worked example

A man with an 86 cm waist and 100 cm hips has a WHR of 86 ÷ 100 = 0.86. That is below the WHO cut-off of 0.90 for men, so his risk is low and his shape is closer to "pear". If he is 178 cm tall, his waist-to-height ratio is 86 ÷ 178 = 0.48 — under the 0.5 guideline. A woman with the same measurements would have a WHR of 0.86, just above the women's cut-off of 0.85, indicating abdominal obesity.

Why waist size matters

Fat stored deep in the abdomen around the organs (visceral fat) is more metabolically active than fat stored under the skin on the hips and thighs. It releases fatty acids and inflammatory signals that raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Large studies have found that WHR and waist-to-height ratio predict heart attack risk better than BMI, especially in people whose BMI is in the normal range but who carry fat around the middle.

Interpreting your result

• WHR: the WHO defines abdominal obesity as a WHR of 0.90 or more for men and 0.85 or more for women.
• Waist alone: risk increases above 94 cm (37 in) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women, and is substantially increased above 102 cm (40 in) and 88 cm (34.6 in). Lower thresholds are recommended for South Asian, Chinese and Japanese populations, typically 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women.
• Waist-to-height ratio: keeping your waist to less than half your height (a ratio under 0.5) is a simple, widely endorsed target. 0.5–0.59 indicates increased risk, and 0.6 or above high risk.

Limitations

WHR is less meaningful for children, during pregnancy and for people with a BMI over about 35, where both measurements are large. Small measuring errors change the ratio, so measure at the same place each time. Body shape is partly genetic and hormonal; women tend to shift toward an apple shape after menopause. For a broader picture of your body composition, combine this result with the body fat calculator, and if reducing your waist is a goal, use the calorie calculator to set an intake target.

This calculator gives general information and is not a medical diagnosis. Discuss concerns about your weight or heart health with a healthcare professional.