Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
Calculate WHR and assess body fat distribution and associated health risk.
Please note: For general information only. This is not medical advice — speak to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet, training or medication.
What the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator does
Waist-to-hip ratio shows where your body stores fat. An apple shape, with fat concentrated around the abdomen, carries higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk than a pear shape at the same overall weight.
Formula
WHR = Waist circumference ÷ Hip circumference
Inputs explained
| Input | Unit | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | one of 2 options | Yes | — |
| Waist circumference | number | Yes | Measure at the narrowest point. Accepts 1 or more. |
| Hip circumference | number | Yes | Measure at the widest point. Accepts 1 or more. |
How to use it
- Choose Sex.
- Enter Waist circumference and Hip circumference.
- Select Calculate.
Worked example
A woman with an 78 cm waist and 100 cm hips.
- Sex
- Female
- Waist
- 78
- Hip
- 100
78 ÷ 100 = 0.78 — low risk.
Reading the result
- The ratio shows where fat is stored rather than how much there is. Abdominal fat carries higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk than the same weight carried on the hips.
- Because it is a ratio, the units cancel — centimetres and inches give the same answer as long as both measurements use one of them.
Assumptions and limitations
- Thresholds differ by sex and vary between health bodies, and the commonly used cut-offs were derived largely from European populations.
- It is a screening indicator, not a diagnosis, and says nothing about fitness, blood pressure or blood markers.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the waist at the trouser line rather than at the narrowest point above the navel, which understates the ratio.
- Measuring over clothing, or pulling the tape tight enough to compress the skin.
Frequently asked questions
Does the unit matter?
No. Because it is a ratio, both measurements just need to be in the same unit — cm or inches both work.
Method and sources
Method. Waist circumference divided by hip circumference, banded against the WHO expert-consultation cut-off points for substantially increased risk.
Assumptions
- Both measurements are taken to the WHO protocol — the waist at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest, the hips at the widest point of the buttocks.
- The reader is a non-pregnant adult.
Limitations
- The cut-offs are population screening thresholds. They mark where risk rises across a group, not a line an individual crosses into illness.
- WHO notes that the relationship between these measures and risk differs between populations, and several countries apply lower thresholds accordingly.
- The ratio can stay flat while both measurements grow, so it is a poor way to track change over time — the waist measurement alone is better for that.
Sources
- Waist Circumference and Waist–Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December 2008 — World Health Organization, 2011. The measurement protocol and the cut-off points used to band the result.