Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Enter your waist and hip circumference to get your waist-to-hip ratio and compare it, and your waist, with the risk cut-offs attributed to the World Health Organization.
- Risk by waist–hip ratioBelow the cut-off
- Waist–hip ratio cut-off0.85
- Risk by waist circumferenceBelow the cut-off
- Waist cut-offs (increased / substantially)80 / 88 cm
How it is calculated
The waist-to-hip ratio is an indirect measure of fat stored around the abdomen. The World Health Organization’s 2008 expert consultation found “convincing evidence” that a larger waist and a higher waist-to-hip ratio go with higher disease risk, and favoured waist circumference over the ratio because it is easier to measure. In the report’s annex Table A1, a ratio of 0.90 or more in men and 0.85 or more in women means a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. The waist cut-offs come from WHO’s 2000 obesity report (TRS 894, Table 2.2), which gives a waist of 94 cm or more in men and 80 cm or more in women as increased risk, and 102 cm or more and 88 cm or more as substantially increased risk; Table A1 of the 2008 report prints the same numbers with “>”, and the calculator uses the “≥” of TRS 894. The report also notes that the waist cut-offs were an example drawn from a Dutch sample rather than a formal WHO recommendation, and that the cut-offs rest mostly on studies of people of European origin.
Waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference (cm) ÷ hip circumference (cm)Both measurements must be in the same unit; the ratio has none. Waist circumference is also judged on its own against centimetre cut-offs.- Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides and little clothing; take a few relaxed breaths.
- Measure the waist midway between the lower edge of the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (iliac crest), at the end of a normal breath out.
- Measure the hips around the widest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape parallel to the floor, snug but not tight.
- Take each measurement twice: if they are within 1 cm, use the average; if not, repeat both.
- Divide the waist by the hips, round to two decimals and compare with the cut-off for your sex.
Example
For a woman with an 84 cm waist and 96 cm hips: 84 ÷ 96 = 0.875 → 0.88. The cut-off for women is 0.85, so the risk by waist-to-hip ratio is substantially increased; the waist is over 80 cm but under 88 cm, so the risk by waist is increased.
Frequently asked questions
What should my waist-to-hip ratio be?
By the cut-offs attributed to WHO, 0.90 or more in men and 0.85 or more in women signals a substantially increased risk of metabolic complications. Being under the cut-off does not mean “low risk”; it only means this measure is not over the line.
Which matters more, waist circumference or the waist-to-hip ratio?
The WHO report says both predict disease risk but favours waist circumference because it is easier to measure, and recommends using it together with body mass index where possible.
Some sources give 1.0 for men. Which is right?
WHO’s 2000 obesity report notes that over 1.0 in men and over 0.85 in women had come to be accepted as signs of abdominal fat. The table in the 2008 expert consultation report gives 0.90 for men, and this calculator uses that table.
Should I measure at the navel?
WHO’s protocol measures the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone. The report cites a review finding that other sites, such as the navel, did not substantially change the link with risk; still, use the same site every time so that readings compare.
Do these cut-offs apply to everyone?
No. They are for adults and rest mostly on data from people of European origin; the WHO report notes differences between populations and calls for research on whether cut-offs should be specific to sex, age and population. The waist cut-offs were derived from adults aged 20 to 59; they are not for children or adolescents.
Source
- WHO (2011): Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio — report of a WHO expert consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December 2008. Annex A, Table A1 (p. 27): cut-offs and risk levels; sections 2.5 (p. 7) and 5.2 (p. 20): measurement protocol; section 5.1 (p. 19): waist favoured; chapter 3 (p. 8): European-origin data
- WHO Technical Report Series 894 (2000): Obesity — preventing and managing the global epidemic, Table 2.2 (p. 11): sex-specific waist cut-offs and risk levels (≥94/≥80, ≥102/≥88 cm; the source of the calculator’s “≥”); p. 10: earlier waist-to-hip ratio limits