Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator
Waist to hip and waist to height ratio with WHO and Indian cut-offs
| Measure | Men | Women | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waist to hip ratio (WHO): substantially increased risk | 0.90 or more | 0.85 or more | 0.84 |
| Waist to height ratio: increased risk | 0.50 or more | 0.50 or more | 0.52 |
| Waist to height ratio: high risk | 0.60 or more | 0.60 or more | 0.52 |
| Waist, South Asians (IDF) | 90 cm or more | 80 cm or more | 82 cm |
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For general information only, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or a qualified professional about your health. Terms of use
How to Use
- Choose your Sex and whether you measured in Centimetres or Inches.
- Measure your Waist with a soft tape, standing relaxed, halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, at the end of a normal breath out.
- Measure your Hips around the widest part of your buttocks, keeping the tape level.
- Enter your Height. Your waist to hip ratio, its WHO category and your waist to height ratio appear as you type.
- Check the table of cut-offs below, including the waist sizes used for South Asians.
Why waist size matters more than weight alone
Fat stored deep in the belly, around the liver and other organs, is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease far more strongly than fat on the hips and thighs. Two people with the same weight and BMI can have very different risk depending on where they carry it. This waist to hip ratio calculator gives you two simple measures of belly fat, the waist to hip ratio (WHR) and the waist to height ratio (WHtR), and checks your waist against the cut-offs used for South Asians.
The formulas
Waist to height ratio = waist ÷ height
(use the same unit for both, cm or inches)
Example: a woman with an 82 cm waist, 98 cm hips and a height of 158 cm has a WHR of 82 ÷ 98 = 0.84, just under the WHO cut-off of 0.85. Her waist to height ratio is 82 ÷ 158 = 0.52, a little over the 0.5 line, and her waist is above the 80 cm cut-off for South Asian women. So even though her hip ratio looks fine, the other two measures suggest it's worth checking her blood sugar and blood pressure.
Cut-offs used
| Measure | Men | Women | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waist to hip ratio, substantially increased risk | 0.90 or more | 0.85 or more | WHO expert consultation, 2008 |
| Waist, South Asians (central obesity) | 90 cm or more | 80 cm or more | International Diabetes Federation |
| Waist, Europeans | 94 cm or more | 80 cm or more | International Diabetes Federation |
| Waist to height ratio | 0.5–0.59 increased risk; 0.6 or more high risk | NICE (UK), 2022 | |
Why South Asians have lower cut-offs
Studies across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the South Asian diaspora have found that, at the same BMI, South Asians tend to have more body fat, more of it around the abdomen, and more insulin resistance than Europeans. Type 2 diabetes and heart disease show up earlier and at lower weights. That's why the IDF set the waist cut-off for South Asian men at 90 cm rather than the 94 cm used for Europeans, and why Indian guidelines treat a BMI of 23 as overweight instead of 25. A "normal" looking person with a thick middle, sometimes called thin-fat, is common in Indian cities.
How to measure correctly
- Use a non-stretch tape and measure on bare skin or a thin layer of clothing.
- Stand straight with feet together and arms relaxed. Don't hold your stomach in.
- For the waist, find the midpoint between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bone (iliac crest), and measure after breathing out normally.
- For the hips, measure around the widest part of the buttocks.
- Take two readings and use the average.
These measures don't work well in pregnancy, and they're less reliable for children and for people with a very high BMI. They're a screening guide, not a diagnosis.