Calculate Your Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Waist: midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. Hips: the widest part of your buttocks.
What Your Ratio Means
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower risk | Under 0.90 | Under 0.85 |
| Substantially increased risk (WHO) | 0.90 or higher | 0.85 or higher |
These cut-offs come from the World Health Organization's expert consultation on waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. They mark where the risk of metabolic complications rises substantially, not a diagnosis.
Waist-to-Hip vs. Waist-to-Height
Both ratios focus on belly fat, which is more closely tied to health risk than total weight. Waist-to-height ratio has a single, easy-to-remember target for adults (keep your waist under half your height) and is now the body composition standard across the U.S. military. Waist-to-hip ratio adds a view of your body shape. Checking both gives a fuller picture. Learn about waist-to-height ratio →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
The World Health Organization uses a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.90 or higher for men and 0.85 or higher for women as the point where the risk of metabolic complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, is substantially increased.
Is waist-to-hip ratio better than waist-to-height ratio?
Both measure where fat is stored, which matters more for health than total weight. Waist-to-height ratio is simpler, uses one cut-off for everyone (keep your waist under half your height), and is the measure the U.S. military now uses. Waist-to-hip ratio is useful as a second view, especially for comparing body shape.
Where do I measure my waist and hips?
For waist-to-hip ratio, the WHO measures the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, and the hips around the widest part of the buttocks. Stand with feet together and read the tape at the end of a normal breath out.
Why does body shape matter?
Fat stored around the abdomen (an “apple” shape) is more closely linked to heart and metabolic disease than fat stored around the hips and thighs (a “pear” shape). A higher ratio means more of your fat is around your middle.
Check Your Waist-to-Height Ratio
Our main calculator shows your ratio against the 0.50 health guideline and the military's 0.55 limit.
Open TrueFit BMI Calculator →📚 Sources
- World Health Organization. (2011). Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December 2008.
WHO → - Ashwell, M., Gunn, P., & Gibson, S. (2012). Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 13(3), 275–286.
PubMed →