Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Calculate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and get a WHO health risk assessment.
Measurements
Measure at the narrowest point (waist) and the widest point (hips). WHR is dimensionless — units cancel out as long as both are the same.
WHO Thresholds — Male
| WHR Range | Risk Level |
|---|---|
| < 0.90 | Low Risk |
| 0.90 – 0.95 | Moderate Risk |
| 0.95 – 1.00 | High Risk |
| ≥ 1.00 | Very High Risk |
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator — WHO Health Risk Assessment
The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a simple measure of body fat distribution. Unlike BMI, WHR specifically captures abdominal obesity — excess fat around the waist — which is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines risk thresholds for men at 0.90 and for women at 0.85. To measure correctly: the waist is measured at the narrowest point (usually just above the belly button when relaxed), and the hips at the widest point around the buttocks. WHR is dimensionless — the ratio is the same whether you measure in centimetres or inches, as long as both measurements use the same unit. This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice.
Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated
What this tool is used for
- Getting a ratio and its WHO risk band from two measurements.
- Tracking the ratio over months rather than one reading.
- Comparing the ratio against a BMI figure, which measures something different.
- Getting a measure that says something BMI cannot, since it describes distribution rather than mass.
- Understanding where the risk thresholds come from.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the ratio measure that BMI does not?
- Where the fat is, rather than how much mass there is. Abdominal fat carries higher cardiometabolic risk than the same weight carried on hips and thighs, and BMI cannot distinguish them at all — two people at the same BMI can differ substantially in risk.
- What are the thresholds?
- The WHO defines abdominal obesity as above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women. The difference is physiological rather than arbitrary: fat distribution differs by sex, so a single cut-off would misclassify one group systematically.
- Where exactly should the measurements be taken?
- Waist at the narrowest point between the lowest rib and the iliac crest, hips at the widest point of the buttocks, tape snug without compressing, at the end of a normal exhalation. Consistency matters more than precision — the same wrong method twice still tracks change.
- Is waist circumference alone as useful?
- Often more so, and easier to measure reliably. Waist-to-height ratio — keeping waist under half your height — performs comparably in several studies and needs no hip measurement, which removes the step most likely to be done inconsistently.
- Can the ratio be misleading?
- Yes, at both ends. Someone very lean with narrow hips can read as elevated risk on the ratio alone, and pregnancy makes it meaningless. It is one indicator among several, and no single circumference measurement is a diagnosis.
Common errors and gotchas
- Measuring at inconsistent landmarks, which changes the ratio more than any real change would.
- Pulling the tape tight, which compresses tissue and biases both measurements.
- Applying one threshold set across sexes and populations, where the cut-offs differ.
- Reading a band as a diagnosis rather than a screening indicator.
- Measuring after a meal or at a different time of day than the previous reading.