Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) Calculator
The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a widely used proxy for central fat distribution — the higher the ratio, the more abdominal obesity, and the stronger the association with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Enter your waist and hip circumferences to get your WHR with the matching WHO risk band, and optionally add height to see your waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), which often picks up central obesity earlier than BMI does.
Enter a waist of 40–200 cm, a hip of 50–200 cm, and an optional height of 80–260 cm.
WHR
0.89
Low risk
Men: low < 0.90 | moderate 0.90–<1.00 | high ≥ 1.00 (WHO 2008)
Risk band
< 0.90 Moderate
0.90–1.00 High risk
≥ 1.00
Below the WHO central-obesity threshold — cardiovascular and metabolic risk associated with WHR is low.
Waist-to-Height Ratio (Ashwell chart)
Enter a height to also see waist ÷ height.
For reference only — not a clinical assessment. Pregnancy and very muscular builds skew the ratio.
Formula
WHR = waist ÷ hip; WHtR = waist ÷ height (same length unit on both sides)
- · Measure waist at the narrowest point above the navel and hip at the widest point of the buttocks. Keep the tape horizontal; exhale normally and don't suck in.
- · WHO 2008 "substantially increased risk" thresholds: men WHR > 0.90, women WHR > 0.85.
- · This tool uses the clinically common 3-band stratification — men: low < 0.90 | moderate 0.90–<1.00 | high ≥ 1.00; women: low < 0.80 | moderate 0.80–<0.85 | high ≥ 0.85.
- · Waist-to-Height Ratio (Ashwell chart): < 0.5 healthy, 0.5–<0.6 consider action, ≥ 0.6 take action. The same cut-off applies across age and sex.
- · WHR needs only a tape measure, but is sensitive to where you measure — use the same anatomical landmarks each time for tracking.
- · Pregnancy and very muscular builds (e.g. heavy strength training, narrow hips relative to abdominal musculature) distort the ratio. Re-measure during significant body-composition change.
- · Sources: WHO Expert Consultation on Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio (Geneva, 2008); NIH NHLBI Practical Guide (2000); Ashwell & Hsieh (2005); NICE NG7 (2022).
Frequently asked
Is WHR more accurate than BMI?
They are complementary: BMI tells you total weight relative to height (overall adiposity) while WHR tells you where the fat sits. The INTERHEART study (Lancet, 2005) found WHR predicts myocardial infarction risk better than BMI because visceral abdominal fat is more harmful than subcutaneous fat. The ideal screen is BMI + WHR (or waist circumference) together.
Why are the cut-offs different for men and women?
Women naturally carry more hip and thigh adipose tissue, so for the same body-fat percentage their WHR runs lower than men's. WHO and NIH set sex-specific cut-offs to map onto comparable cardiometabolic risk levels, not absolute size differences.
Does small variation in where I place the tape matter?
Yes. Moving the tape up or down by 2–3 cm can shift WHR by 0.02–0.04 — enough to cross a band. Standardise: waist at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest (or the narrowest point above the navel), hip at the widest part of the buttocks. Measure at the same spot at the same time of day to reduce noise.
Is waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) better than WHR?
WHtR has practical advantages: it needs only waist and height (one fewer measurement, one less source of error) and uses a single 0.5 cut-off ("keep your waist less than half your height") across age and sex — easy to remember. Meta-analyses (Ashwell 2012) show WHtR predicts diabetes and cardiovascular risk slightly better than BMI or WHR, although different ancestry groups may need slight tweaks. This tool shows both ratios so you can compare.
Related tools
BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculator
Enter height and weight to get your BMI and category (underweight / normal / overweight / obese).
BMR & TDEE Calculator
Estimate daily BMR and TDEE using Mifflin-St Jeor or Harris-Benedict, with calorie targets for cutting and bulking.
Body Fat Calculator (US Navy method)
Estimate body fat percentage using the US Navy circumference formula (neck, waist, plus hip for women).
Sleep Cycle Calculator
Suggest ideal bedtimes or wake times based on 90-minute sleep cycles, so you wake up between cycles instead of mid-deep-sleep.
Daily Water Intake Calculator
Estimate daily water intake from body weight, exercise duration and climate so you stay hydrated without overdoing it.
Running Pace Calculator
Compute pace per km / per mile from distance and time, or project finish time from a target pace — covers 5K, 10K, half- and full-marathon distances.
Heart Rate Zone Calculator
Compute 5 training heart rate zones from age and optional resting HR using the Karvonen formula (Z1 warm-up to Z5 max effort).
Lean Body Mass (LBM) Calculator
Estimate lean body mass (LBM), fat mass and body fat % from height, weight and sex using the Boer, Hume and James formulas.
Daily Macros Calculator (carbs / protein / fat)
Split a daily calorie target into grams of carbs, protein and fat at any macro ratio.
One-Rep Max (1RM) Calculator
Estimate one-rep max from a sub-maximal lift (weight × reps) with Epley, Brzycki, Lombardi and Lander formulas, plus a 50–95% intensity training table.
Body Surface Area (BSA) Calculator
Estimate body surface area from height and weight using the Mosteller, Du Bois, Haycock and Boyd formulas — commonly used in drug-dosing, chemotherapy and cardiac-index calculations.
Race Time Predictor (Riegel Formula)
Project a finish time at one distance from a known time at another distance using the classic Riegel formula T₂ = T₁ × (D₂/D₁)^1.06.
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) Calculator
Compute mean arterial pressure from systolic and diastolic blood pressure with clinical bands and pulse-pressure context: MAP = DBP + (SBP − DBP)/3.
Pack-Year (Smoking History) Calculator
Compute cumulative smoking exposure in pack-years from cigarettes per day and years smoked, with lung-cancer-screening thresholds.
Exercise Calorie Burn (MET) Calculator
Use METs, body weight and duration to estimate calories burned for common activities (running, hiking, swimming, cycling and more).
Caffeine Half-Life Calculator
Pick the dose (mg) and the time you drank it; the calculator uses the standard ~5-hour caffeine half-life to project how many milligrams remain hour-by-hour, including the level at bedtime.
Body Adiposity Index (BAI) Calculator
Bergman’s BAI estimates body-fat percentage from hip circumference and height alone (BAI = hip ÷ height^1.5 − 18) — no scale required.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Calculator
Estimate blood alcohol concentration (BAC %) with the Widmark formula from drinks consumed, body weight, sex and hours elapsed — and compare against the Hong Kong 0.05% drink-driving limit.
VO₂ Max Calculator (Cooper 12-Minute Run Test)
Enter your distance covered in a 12-minute run to estimate VO₂ max and read off the age/sex fitness category.