Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Measure how fat sits around your middle versus your hips, then read your WHO risk band and a bonus waist-to-height ratio.
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Enter your details and tap Calculate to see your results appear here.
Your result appears here.
What Waist-to-Hip Ratio Measures
Waist-to-hip ratio compares the size of your waist to your hips. It shows where your body stores fat, and that location matters more for health than the total amount.
Fat around the belly, called visceral fat, wraps around organs and drives risk for heart disease and diabetes. Fat on the hips and thighs carries far less danger.
Because of that, a high ratio flags risk even when your weight looks fine on a scale.
How to Use This Calculator
- Select your sex.
- Measure your waist at the narrowest point and your hips at the widest.
- Enter both numbers, and your height if you want the bonus reading.
- Tap Calculate to see your ratio and risk band.
The Formula Used
Waist-to-height = waist / height
- waist
- The narrowest part of your torso.
- hip
- The widest part around your buttocks.
A waist-to-height ratio below 0.5 is a simple, well-supported marker of lower risk for adults of any height.
Understanding Your Results
Tips to Improve Your Ratio
- Trim refined carbs and added sugar, which feed belly fat.
- Walk daily and add two strength sessions a week.
- Manage stress, since cortisol pushes fat toward the middle.
- Limit alcohol, a direct contributor to waist size.
Frequently Asked Questions
For heart and metabolic risk, WHR often predicts trouble that BMI misses, because it captures where fat sits.
Measure the waist at its narrowest point, usually just above the navel, and the hips at the widest part of the buttocks.
A high ratio is a signal, not a verdict. Use it to start lifestyle changes and to raise the topic with your doctor.
Scientific References
- World Health Organization. (2008). Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation. Geneva: WHO.
- Ashwell, M., Gunn, P., & Gibson, S. (2012). Waist-to-height ratio as an indicator of early health risk. Obesity Reviews, 13(3), 275–286.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Assessing Your Weight. CDC.