Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

What the ratio tells you

Two people with identical body fat percentages can carry it very differently. Fat stored centrally — around and within the abdomen — is more strongly associated with metabolic and cardiovascular risk than fat stored on the hips and thighs.

The WHO thresholds are 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women, above which risk is classified as raised. Note these differ substantially by sex, because typical fat distribution does.

Where you store fat is largely genetic and not something you can direct — spot reduction does not work. What you can change is the total.

Waist-to-hip or waist-to-height?

Both are better than BMI. In practice waist-to-height is the more useful single number for most people:

• One threshold for everyone. Under 0.5, regardless of sex.
• One measurement to get right. Hip circumference adds a second source of error.
• Height does not change, so the denominator is stable. Hips do change as you lose fat, which can mask waist progress in the ratio.

That last point matters when tracking: if your waist falls 4 cm and your hips fall 4 cm, your waist-to-hip ratio barely moves despite real progress. Use waist circumference alone for tracking, and these ratios for context.