Work out your waist-to-hip ratio from two measurements, then see which World Health Organization risk band you fall into on a visual gauge.
The marker shows your ratio against the zone boundaries for the selected sex.
| Risk level | Men (WHR) | Women (WHR) |
|---|
Bands follow World Health Organization guidance. A higher ratio means more weight is carried around the waist, which is linked to greater cardiometabolic risk.
| Measurement | Where to place the tape |
|---|---|
| Waist | At the narrowest point of the trunk, usually just above the navel. Stand relaxed and breathe out gently before reading. |
| Hip | Around the widest part of the buttocks, with feet together. Keep the tape level all the way round. |
Use a flexible tape, keep it snug but not compressing the skin, and measure on bare skin or light clothing for a consistent result.
For beginners: how to read this
Describe the task to the AI assistant and continue from the result.
Open AI assistant →To get a result, load one of the body examples or enter your own values: waist measurement, hip measurement and sex. Use the unit toggle to switch between centimetres and inches; the ratio itself stays the same either way, because it is a comparison of two lengths.
How the ratio is calculated
The waist-to-hip ratio is simply your waist measurement divided by your hip measurement: ratio equals waist divided by hip. Because both numbers are in the same unit, the unit cancels out and the result is a plain number, usually between about 0.65 and 1.15. A lower ratio means a slimmer waist relative to the hips, while a ratio near or above 1.0 means weight is concentrated around the abdomen.
WHO risk bands by sex
Men and women store fat differently, so the World Health Organization uses different thresholds for each. The calculator places your ratio into one of three bands and shows it on a colour-coded gauge.
- Men: low risk below 0.90, moderate risk from 0.90 to 0.99, high risk at 1.00 and above.
- Women: low risk below 0.80, moderate risk from 0.80 to 0.84, high risk at 0.85 and above.
A higher ratio is linked to a greater chance of cardiometabolic problems, because abdominal fat is more closely tied to health risk than fat carried on the hips and thighs. The gauge marker also tells you how far your ratio sits from the next threshold.
Measuring waist and hip correctly
Accurate measurements matter more than any formula. Measure the waist at the narrowest point of the trunk, usually just above the navel, standing relaxed and breathing out gently. Measure the hip around the widest part of the buttocks with your feet together. Keep a flexible tape level all the way round, snug but without compressing the skin, and take both readings on bare skin or light clothing for consistency.
What is not included
Waist-to-hip ratio describes body shape, not body weight, and it is only one screening measure among several. It does not account for age, muscle mass, height, pregnancy, overall body composition or individual medical history, and it cannot diagnose any condition on its own. Treat the result as a prompt to look closer, not as a verdict. Anyone with concerns about their health or their numbers should speak with a qualified healthcare professional.