Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator: WHO Cut-offs
Where you carry weight matters: your waist-to-hip ratio against the WHO risk cut-offs.
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Waist circumference divided by hip circumference. The cut-offs come from the WHO expert consultation on waist circumference and waist to hip ratio (2008): a ratio of 0.90 or above in men and 0.85 or above in women marks substantially increased risk of metabolic complications.
Measurement protocol matters and the WHO report specifies it: waist at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the iliac crest, hips at the widest portion of the buttocks, tape parallel to the floor, at the end of a normal expiration.
Interpreting your result
The ratio is a proxy for fat distribution. Two people at identical weight and BMI can carry very different visceral fat, and it's the abdominal depot that tracks most strongly with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A ratio under the cut-off doesn't guarantee low risk, it says fat distribution isn't adding to it.
Waist-to-hip responds slowly to change, because both numbers move together as you lose or gain; the raw waist measurement often shows progress sooner.
Limitations
- Screening, not diagnosis; the cut-offs are population values.
- Two measurement sites means twice the technique error, consistency of landmarks matters more than the tape's precision.
- After significant weight loss the hip measurement can fall faster than the waist, nudging the ratio the "wrong" way while health improves, track it alongside waist and weight, not alone.
Sources
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Frequently asked questions
- What is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio?
- The WHO expert consultation set the cut-offs for substantially increased metabolic risk at 0.90 or above for men and 0.85 or above for women, below those, risk attributable to fat distribution is considered lower.
- How do I measure waist and hips for this ratio?
- Waist: midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, after breathing out normally. Hips: around the widest part of the buttocks. Keep the tape level and snug, not tight, and use the same landmarks every time.
- Why does fat distribution matter?
- Abdominal (visceral) fat is more metabolically active than fat stored on the hips and thighs, and associates more strongly with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at any given BMI, which is exactly what this ratio screens for.
- Waist-to-hip or waist-to-height, which should I use?
- Both are simple central-adiposity screens. Waist-to-height has the simpler universal boundary (0.5) and needs one less measurement site; waist-to-hip is the classic WHO measure with sex-specific cut-offs. Tracking either consistently beats switching between them.
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