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Calculate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) from waist and hip measurements — see ratio, health risk category and ideal range.
Calculate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) from waist and hip measurements — see ratio, health risk category and ideal range.
Enter values above and click Calculate — results will appear here with the formula explained.
Waist-to-hip ratio divides waist circumference by hip circumference, both measured in the same unit, and sorts the result against World Health Organization screening thresholds: above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women correlates with higher visceral adiposity and metabolic risk in population data. It captures distribution where BMI captures mass — a person with healthy BMI can still carry risky central deposition, and conversely a muscular build can score high on BMI but normal on WHR — so the calculator presents both for context rather than judgment.
WHR is screening, not diagnosis. Measurement protocol drives the number: waist at the midpoint between the lowest rib and iliac crest after gentle exhalation, hips at the maximum gluteal protrusion, tape horizontal without compression. Track the same protocol and time of day across weeks; day-to-day water and meal variability typically swings the ratio by 0.02 or more.
WHR versus BMI versus waist-to-height is the metric-selection question: BMI misses distribution entirely, waist alone ignores stature, WHR captures apple-versus-pear shape, and waist-to-height normalizes for height. Studies repeatedly find WHR and WHtR outperform BMI for cardiovascular prediction — which is why clinicians increasingly pair them rather than relying on BMI alone.
How to measure correctly (rib-to-iliac protocol): stand relaxed, find the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, wrap the tape horizontally after a normal exhale without sucking in, and read to 0.1 cm. Hips go around the widest buttocks. Take each twice and average; measure morning, pre-meal, for week-to-week comparability.
Risk tables by sex: men under 0.90 and women under 0.85 sit in the WHO lower-risk band; 0.90–0.99 (men) and 0.85–0.89 (women) mark increased risk; at or above 1.0 substantially elevated. These are population screening bands — individual risk also reflects blood pressure, lipids, glucose, smoking and family history, so a borderline ratio plus clean labs differs from borderline plus hypertension.
How to lower WHR safely: overall fat loss through sustained calorie deficit plus resistance training shrinks waist faster than hips; sleep 7–9 hours (short sleep raises cortisol and central deposition); limit alcohol and sugary drinks, the fastest visceral-fat drivers; and build glute and leg muscle, which improves the ratio from the denominator side while raising metabolic rate.
Calculate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) from waist and hip measurements — see ratio, health risk category and ideal range. Formula: WHR = waist / hip. Example: With 85cm waist, 100cm hip: WHR 0.85.
Waist-to-hip ratio divides waist circumference by hip circumference, both measured in the same unit, and sorts the result against World Health Organization screening thresholds: above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women correlates with higher visceral adiposity and metabolic risk in population data. It captures distribution where BMI captures mass — a person with healthy BMI can still carry risky central deposition, and conversely a muscular build can score high on BMI but normal on WHR — so the calculator presents both for context rather than judgment.
WHR is screening, not diagnosis. Measurement protocol drives the number: waist at the midpoint between the lowest rib and iliac crest after gentle exhalation, hips at the maximum gluteal protrusion, tape horizontal without compression. Track the same protocol and time of day across weeks; day-to-day water and meal variability typically swings the ratio by 0.02 or more.
WHR versus BMI versus waist-to-height is the metric-selection question: BMI misses distribution entirely, waist alone ignores stature, WHR captures apple-versus-pear shape, and waist-to-height normalizes for height. Studies repeatedly find WHR and WHtR outperform BMI for cardiovascular prediction — which is why clinicians increasingly pair them rather than relying on BMI alone.
How to measure correctly (rib-to-iliac protocol): stand relaxed, find the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, wrap the tape horizontally after a normal exhale without sucking in, and read to 0.1 cm. Hips go around the widest buttocks. Take each twice and average; measure morning, pre-meal, for week-to-week comparability.
Risk tables by sex: men under 0.90 and women under 0.85 sit in the WHO lower-risk band; 0.90–0.99 (men) and 0.85–0.89 (women) mark increased risk; at or above 1.0 substantially elevated. These are population screening bands — individual risk also reflects blood pressure, lipids, glucose, smoking and family history, so a borderline ratio plus clean labs differs from borderline plus hypertension.
How to lower WHR safely: overall fat loss through sustained calorie deficit plus resistance training shrinks waist faster than hips; sleep 7–9 hours (short sleep raises cortisol and central deposition); limit alcohol and sugary drinks, the fastest visceral-fat drivers; and build glute and leg muscle, which improves the ratio from the denominator side while raising metabolic rate.
With 85cm waist, 100cm hip: WHR 0.85. For a man that's below the 0.90 threshold (lower risk); for a woman it's exactly at the 0.85 boundary — remeasure carefully and watch the trend over 4 weeks before concluding anything.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Report an error