Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) Calculator
Where you carry fat matters as much as how much: abdominal ("apple") fat carries more metabolic risk than hip-and-thigh ("pear") fat. WHR captures that in one number, with WHO's risk thresholds.
How to use this calculator
- Measure your waist at navel level, relaxed, after breathing out.
- Measure your hips at their widest point.
- Enter both with your sex — the ratio and WHO risk band appear instantly.
Formula used
WHO thresholds for substantially increased metabolic risk: ≥ 0.90 for men, ≥ 0.85 for women. Waist circumference alone also carries thresholds (≥ 102 cm men, ≥ 88 cm women) that this calculator flags when crossed.
Example calculation
Waist 80 cm, hips 100 cm (female): WHR = 0.80 — right at the boundary between low and moderate risk, and below the WHO 0.85 abdominal-obesity threshold.
Why fat placement matters
Visceral fat — packed around abdominal organs — is metabolically active in ways subcutaneous hip and thigh fat isn't, secreting inflammatory signals linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Two people at identical BMI can carry opposite risk profiles depending on this distribution, which is exactly what WHR detects and BMI cannot.
Large studies have found WHR predicts cardiovascular events as well as or better than BMI. It's still one screening number: trends over months, combined with waist measurement, blood pressure and blood work, tell the real story.
Why use this calculator?
- Capture the fat-distribution risk that BMI completely misses.
- Track body recomposition — waist falling faster than hips is a good sign.
- Get both WHR and standalone waist thresholds in one check.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
Below 0.90 for men and below 0.80 for women is generally low-risk. WHO defines abdominal obesity at ≥ 0.90 (men) and ≥ 0.85 (women).
Which is better — WHR, waist alone, or BMI?
They answer different questions: BMI screens overall mass, waist and WHR capture distribution. Research increasingly favors waist-based measures for metabolic risk; using BMI plus a waist measure covers both dimensions.
How do I measure correctly?
Use a flexible tape, snug but not compressing: waist at the navel (or midpoint between ribs and hip bone) after a normal exhale, hips at the widest point. Measure twice and average — consistency matters more than protocol perfection.