Body composition
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
A quick measure of how body fat is distributed, using just two tape-measure readings.
Body composition
A quick measure of how body fat is distributed, using just two tape-measure readings.
Use the same unit for both (cm or inches) — the ratio works out the same either way.
Waist: at the narrowest point, usually just above the belly button.
Hip: at the widest point around your buttocks.
Keep the tape level and snug, not compressing skin.
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is simply your waist circumference divided by your hip circumference. It's used as a proxy for how body fat is distributed — more around the waist ("apple" shape) versus more around the hips ("pear" shape) — because fat carried around the abdomen is associated with different health risks than fat carried elsewhere.
| Risk level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Lower | Below 0.90 | Below 0.80 |
| Moderate | 0.90–0.99 | 0.80–0.84 |
| Higher | 1.0 and above | 0.85 and above |
BMI looks at overall weight relative to height, while WHR looks specifically at fat distribution. Some research suggests waist-to-hip ratio may be a useful complement to BMI, since two people with the same BMI can carry fat quite differently. Pairing this with our BMI Calculator gives a fuller picture than either number alone.
No — because it's a ratio, centimeters and inches cancel out as long as you measure both waist and hip in the same unit.
Generally lower waist-to-hip ratios are associated with lower risk in research, but this is a population-level pattern, not a guarantee about any individual's health.
Body composition changes gradually, so checking every few weeks to a couple of months is usually plenty to notice a genuine trend.