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Health & Fitnessbody composition

Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

Waist to hip ratio, which measures fat distribution rather than quantity. Abdominal fat is more strongly associated with metabolic risk than the same amount carried on the hips.

Also called: whr calculator, waist hip ratio.

cm
cm
Sex
cm
Population, for the threshold
Waist to hip ratio
0.92

0.92, which is above the threshold associated with higher metabolic risk. Measured against the WHO general threshold, 0.9 for this sex. Losing 2 cm from the waist would reach it. 1 of 2 abdominal measures are above threshold: waist to hip. Agreement between them matters more than any single reading. The ratio measures where fat sits rather than how much. Abdominal fat carries more metabolic risk than the same amount on the hips.

Risk threshold
0.9
Waist at the threshold
90
Waist reduction to reach the threshold
2
Waist to height ratio
0
Absolute waist threshold
94
Waist at your target ratio
0
Category
above the threshold associated with higher metabolic risk
On the threshold used
Measured against the WHO general threshold, 0.9 for this sex.
Against the other measures
1 of 2 abdominal measures are above threshold: waist to hip. Agreement between them matters more than any single reading.
On fat distribution
The ratio measures where fat sits rather than how much. Abdominal fat carries more metabolic risk than the same amount on the hips.
How this is calculated

For reference only. Verify against your clinical protocol before acting on this number.

Method and background

This is what the calculation gives for the numbers you entered. It is an estimate, not advice, and it knows nothing about your situation beyond those numbers. Rules for United States change on a published schedule; the effective date is shown on every rule-based tool.

How this is calculated

The ratio captures where fat is stored. Visceral fat around the abdomen is metabolically active and associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk in a way that subcutaneous fat on hips and thighs is not, which is why two people at the same BMI can carry very different risk. Thresholds are 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women in the WHO classification, though they vary between populations.

the ratio captures where fat sits rather than how much there is
WHR
Waist to hip ratio

Worked examples

Each of these is asserted on every build. If a change to the engine ever moved one of these answers, the build would fail before the page could print it.

a 92 cm waist and 100 cm hips

Waist
92 cm
Hips
100 cm
Sex
Male
Height, for the waist to height ratio
172 cm
Population, for the threshold
WHO general
Target ratio, if you have one
0

Waist to hip ratio0.92

The ratio is waist over hip, 92/100; the target waist is 100 x 0.9

Open this example

exactly at the threshold

Waist
90 cm
Hips
100 cm
Sex
Male

Waist to hip ratio0.9

boundary

Open this example

Method and limits

What it assumes

  • Waist measured at the narrowest point and hips at the widest.

What it deliberately does not model

  • Measurement site varies between protocols, which changes the ratio.
  • Thresholds differ by population, and South Asian populations carry risk at lower values.
  • Waist to height ratio predicts outcomes at least as well and needs one fewer measurement.

Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · United States · Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Why does fat distribution matter?
Visceral fat around the organs is metabolically active in a way that hip and thigh fat is not, so two people at the same weight can carry very different risk.