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Check Your Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) – A Smarter Way to Measure Health

Want to know how your body fat is distributed? Try our Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator is a simple, yet effective, health metric used to measure body fat distribution and assess obesity-related health risks.

Men and women should keep their waist circumference, no more than half their height. A ratio of 0.5 or lower is often considered healthy, indicating that your waist circumference is less than half your height.

Waist to Height Ratio

Gender : *  
Height : * cm
Waist Size : * cm
* Required
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How to measure waist-height (WHtR)ratio?

  • Place the tape measure directly on your skin.
  • Measure your waist by placing the tape horizontally halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hipbone (in inches or centimeters).
  • Hold the tape lightly, so as to not compress it. Breathe out normally and take the measurement.
  • Measure your correct height by standing erect (in inches or centimeters).
  • Enter both values into our calculator.
  • Get instant results and find out if your ratio is within the healthy range.

Why Waist to Height Calculation Matters?

  • Research shows that WHtR is more accurate than Body Mass Index (BMI)(2). when it comes to predicting risks related to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic conditions.
  • Waist to height ratio can be obtained by dividing waist size by height:
    Waist-to-Height Ratio = Waist circumference / Height
    By entering your waist measurement and height, the calculator categorizes your body weight into one of four categories:
    • Underweight
    • Healthy weight
    • Overweight
    • Obese

WHtR vs. BMI: Which Is Better?

While BMI has been widely used, it doesn't account for muscle mass, fat distribution, or body shape. WHtR, on the other hand, directly considers abdominal fat—a major risk factor for many diseases. That's why many health experts now recommend WHtR as a more reliable tool.

WHtR Health Risk Categories?

  • WHtR below 0.4: Underweight
  • WHtR 0.4 to 0.49: Healthy weight
  • WHtR 0.5 to 0.59: Increased risk (overweight)
  • WHtR 0.6 and above: High risk (Obese)
Waist Circumference is considered a risk factor for heart disease, irrespective of height and build, in the following cases:
  • Men: Waist Circumference over 94 cm (approx. 37 inches)
  • Women: Waist Circumference Over 80 cm (approx. 31.5 inches)

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Frequently Asked Questions About WHtR

1. Is WHtR accurate for all body types?

Yes, WHtR is effective across different ages, genders, and ethnicities.

2. How is ‘Waist to Height ratio’ different from 'Waist to Hip Ratio'?

Both can be used to screen possible health problems and both measures body fat distribution but it is the waist circumference that has a direct correlation with the risk of developing heart disease, because it measures the critical levels of fat accumulated between internal organs and the torso, that is, visceral fat. Visceral fat is directly connected to strokes and heart disease.
Greater the waist circumference, the higher the morbidity and mortality from heart disease, diabetes, stroke and hypertension.

3. How often should I check my WHtR?

Checking every few months is a good practice, especially if you're working on weight or lifestyle changes.

4. Can children use WHtR?

Yes, WHtR is applicable for children over 5, but refer to pediatric-specific guidelines.

  • 1. Waist to height ratio is a simple and effective obesity screening tool for cardiovascular risk factors: Analysis of data from the British National Diet And Nutrition Survey of adults aged 19-64 years
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20054212/)
  • 2. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22106927/)
  • 3. Waist to Height Ratio Calculator
    (http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/waist-height-ratio/)
  • 4. Waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for obesity and cardiometabolic risk
    (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5118501/)
  • 5. Augmenting BMI and Waist-Height Ratio for Establishing More Efficient Obesity Percentiles among School-going Children
    (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2731976/)
  • 6. Validating the waist-height ratio and developing centiles for use amongst children and adolescents
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18976352/)
  • 7. Waist-to-height ratio is correlated with height in US children and adolescents aged 2–18 years
    (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2662595/)

Post a Comment

Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. The editorial team reserves the right to review and moderate the comments posted on the site.

Comments

dolores-garcă­a - Apr 29, 2025

Im 161cm and 51kg [BMI 19.7] but it tells me im underweight? My waist size is 25in/63.5cm.

tdhturx-zuzu - Feb 19, 2025

6'1 and my waist size of 25 inches, might be time to bulk.. [I'm a man- 16]

Boombeno1 - Jan 02, 2024

I'm female, 5'7, 147lbs and my waist is 26 inches and it tells me I'm underweight? Idk man, according to Google at the minimum my weight should be 104lbs and max 149lbs, considering I'm on the heavier side of being a healthy weight according to Google am I really under weight? Just cause of my waist size? Is 26 inches that bad for my height and weight??

mayurika_tripathy92 - Aug 18, 2024

I am 32, female, waist at 36, weight at 66kgs. 5 feet tall. No change in medical history. Gained 16 kgs in less than 7 months. Waist size increased by 8 inches in 6 months. No change in diet. Do I need to worry?

loverosepink09 - May 28, 2024

My height is 4ft and 8 1/2 inches but my waist size is 40 or 41 not sure but people keep calling me fat and it's making me want to starve myself am I really fat?



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