Waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR, compares the size of your waist with the size of your hips. It is one of the simplest ways to see how your body carries fat, and it is used in health screening because fat stored around the abdomen is more strongly linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes than fat stored on the hips and thighs.
How to calculate it
WHR = waist circumference ÷ hip circumference
Use the same unit for both. If your waist is 84 cm and your hips are 100 cm, your WHR is 84 ÷ 100 = 0.84.
Accuracy depends on measuring consistently. See how to measure your body. In short, measure the waist at the narrowest point of the torso (or midway between the lowest rib and hip bone, per the WHO), and measure the hips at the widest point around the buttocks.
Reference ranges
The WHO's 2008 expert consultation on waist circumference and waist-hip ratio described abdominal obesity, meaning substantially increased metabolic risk, as a WHR of 0.90 or more in men and 0.85 or more in women. Health organisations often use a slightly stricter "low risk" band:
| Risk level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Lower risk | up to 0.90 | up to 0.80 |
| Moderate risk | 0.91 to 1.00 | 0.81 to 0.85 |
| High risk | above 1.00 | above 0.85 |
The exact cut points differ between sources and are for populations, so they can only suggest, not diagnose. Age, ethnicity, fitness and genetics all modify what a given number means for an individual.
Why the waist matters more than the hips
Fat stored around the abdomen includes visceral fat: fat packed around organs such as the liver. Visceral fat is metabolically active, and higher levels are associated with insulin resistance, raised blood fats and blood pressure. Fat on the hips and thighs, called gluteofemoral fat, appears to be more neutral or even protective. Research on this pattern is why the ratio does something BMI cannot: it separates where fat is stored.
A large international case-control study of heart attack (INTERHEART) reported that waist-to-hip ratio was a stronger marker of risk than BMI across many countries. Other pooled analyses of cohort studies found BMI, waist circumference and WHR predicted cardiovascular disease to a broadly similar degree, and that adding a waist measure to BMI improved prediction only modestly. The takeaway is not that one number wins, but that abdominal fat is a real signal and that waist size itself is the part doing the work. That is why many current guidelines emphasise waist circumference and the waist-to-height ratio.
Limits of the ratio
- A lower WHR can come from big hips as well as a small waist. A person with a large waist but even larger hips can look "low risk." Look at the waist number itself as well.
- It does not measure body fat. WHR shows distribution, not amount.
- Measurement error is large. A 1 cm error in each measurement can shift the ratio by 0.02, enough to change risk bands.
- Bone structure matters. A wide pelvis produces lower ratios, and a narrow pelvis higher ones, independent of fat.
- Special situations. Pregnancy, some medical conditions and very high BMI change what the number means.
What is a "good" ratio for appearance?
Studies on attractiveness have reported that people in many settings rate a WHR of around 0.7 in women and 0.9 in men as most attractive, but the findings vary across cultures and eras, and the effect sizes are modest. It is more useful to treat WHR as a health indicator than as a beauty target.
How to improve your waist-to-hip ratio
- Reduce waist size. A small calorie deficit (10 to 20 percent below maintenance), regular walking (8,000 to 10,000 steps), and 2 to 4 hours per week of aerobic activity all reduce abdominal fat, including visceral fat, which tends to respond well to exercise.
- Lift weights. Resistance training protects muscle during weight loss and, when hip and glute muscle grow, raises hip circumference in a favourable way.
- Eat enough protein and fibre. They help with fullness and preserving muscle.
- Sleep and stress. Short sleep and chronic stress are associated with more abdominal fat. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep.
- Limit alcohol. Calories from alcohol are easy to overlook and contribute to abdominal fat gain.
You cannot spot-reduce fat from the waist by doing abdominal exercises. See how to lose belly fat for what works.
Use with other measures
For the fullest picture, combine WHR with:
- Waist-to-height ratio, the simplest predictor: keep your waist under half your height.
- BMI, a quick weight-to-height screen.
- Body fat percentage, which measures composition directly.
The Body Report calculates all of these and places you on each scale.