Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

Risk Category

Low Risk

The Numbers

  • Waist-to-Hip Ratio: 0.85

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Includes your inputs and results for this calculation, plus any additional calculations you've compared.

Good to Know

Waist-to-hip ratio estimates body fat distribution from two circumference measurements — it doesn't directly measure body fat, and factors like pregnancy or recent abdominal surgery can affect measurement accuracy.

Disclaimer

This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, medical, legal, or tax advice. Always consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.

How This Calculator Works

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference — a simple indicator of whether body fat is distributed more around the waist (“apple” shape) or the hips (“pear” shape). Enter your gender at birth, waist, and hip measurements, and this calculator shows your ratio and where it falls on the World Health Organization’s health-risk scale.

Where body fat is stored matters, not just how much of it there is. Fat concentrated around the waist is associated with higher health risk than the same amount of fat carried elsewhere, which is exactly what WHR is designed to flag — a measurement BMI, which only relates weight to height, can’t capture on its own.

The Formula

WHR=Waist CircumferenceHip Circumference\text{WHR} = \frac{\vA{\text{Waist Circumference}}}{\vB{\text{Hip Circumference}}}

Both measurements use the same unit — the ratio itself is unitless, so it comes out identical whether you measure in centimeters or inches.

The result is then compared against the World Health Organization’s gender-specific risk bands:

GenderLow RiskModerate RiskHigh Risk
Menbelow 0.900.90 to 0.991.00 and above
Womenbelow 0.800.80 to 0.840.85 and above

Worked Example

A male, waist 85cm, hip 100cm:

  1. WHR=85÷100=0.85\text{WHR} = \vA{85} \div \vB{100} = 0.85.
  2. A ratio of 0.85 falls below the 0.90 threshold, landing in the Low Risk band for men.

Source: World Health Organization waist-to-hip ratio risk classification (2008 report).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is waist-to-hip ratio?

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference — a simple indicator of whether body fat is distributed more around the waist ("apple" shape) or the hips ("pear" shape), used as a screening measure for health risk related to fat distribution.

Why does WHR use different thresholds for men and women?

Men and women naturally carry fat differently on average, so the World Health Organization's risk bands use gender-specific cutoffs (0.90 and 1.0 for men; 0.80 and 0.85 for women) rather than one universal threshold.

Is waist-to-hip ratio better than BMI?

They measure different things — BMI relates weight to height, while WHR describes fat DISTRIBUTION regardless of overall weight. Some research suggests fat concentrated around the waist carries more health risk than the same fat elsewhere, which is exactly what WHR is designed to flag and BMI can't. Many clinicians consider the two complementary rather than one replacing the other.