Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Calculate your waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and see your central fat category from UK NICE guidance. Keep your waist to less than half your height.
📏 Waist-to-Height Ratio
Results
💡 How the Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator Works
Your waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is your waist measurement divided by your height. It estimates how much fat you carry around your middle (central adiposity), which is linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The simple message from the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is: keep your waist to less than half your height. A waist of 80 cm at 170 cm tall gives a WHtR of 0.471, in the healthy range.
The formula and NICE categories
| WHtR | NICE category | Health risk |
|---|---|---|
| 0.4 to 0.49 | Healthy central adiposity | No increased health risks |
| 0.5 to 0.59 | Increased central adiposity | Increased health risks |
| 0.6 or more | High central adiposity | Further increased health risks |
NICE says these categories can be used for adults with a BMI under 35, of both sexes and all ethnicities. NICE does not classify values below 0.4; a very low ratio may be worth discussing with a doctor if you could be underweight.
Example results
| Waist | Height | WHtR | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 cm | 170 cm | 0.471 | Healthy central adiposity |
| 84 cm | 170 cm | 0.494 | Healthy central adiposity |
| 88 cm | 170 cm | 0.518 | Increased central adiposity |
| 95 cm | 175 cm | 0.543 | Increased central adiposity |
| 105 cm | 175 cm | 0.600 | High central adiposity |
| 72 cm | 160 cm | 0.450 | Healthy central adiposity |
| 85 cm | 160 cm | 0.531 | Increased central adiposity |
Waist targets for your height
Half your height is the waist size at which you move from healthy to increased central adiposity:
| Height | WHtR 0.4 | WHtR 0.5 (half your height) | WHtR 0.6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 cm | 60 cm | 75 cm | 90 cm |
| 155 cm | 62 cm | 77.5 cm | 93 cm |
| 160 cm | 64 cm | 80 cm | 96 cm |
| 165 cm | 66 cm | 82.5 cm | 99 cm |
| 170 cm | 68 cm | 85 cm | 102 cm |
| 175 cm | 70 cm | 87.5 cm | 105 cm |
| 180 cm | 72 cm | 90 cm | 108 cm |
| 185 cm | 74 cm | 92.5 cm | 111 cm |
| 190 cm | 76 cm | 95 cm | 114 cm |
How to measure your waist
NICE's method for adults:
- Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.
- Wrap a tape measure around your waist midway between these points; this is usually just above the belly button.
- Breathe out naturally before reading the measurement.
- Keep the tape level and snug without pressing into the skin, and measure height without shoes.
Why waist-to-height ratio is useful
BMI uses only weight and height, so it can't show where fat is stored. Fat around the abdomen, including visceral fat around the organs, carries more health risk than fat elsewhere. A 2012 systematic review and meta-analysis in Obesity Reviews, pooling data from more than 300,000 adults, concluded that WHtR is a better screening tool for cardiometabolic risk factors than either waist circumference or BMI. Dividing by height also means the same boundary works for tall and short people, unlike a fixed waist size.
NICE recommends measuring waist-to-height ratio alongside BMI in adults with a BMI below 35, because people can have a healthy BMI but still carry excess fat around the middle. Check your BMI with the BMI calculator.
Waist-to-height vs waist-to-hip ratio
Both measure central fat. The waist-to-hip ratio compares your waist with your hips and uses different cut-offs for men (0.90) and women (0.85). Waist-to-height ratio needs only one tape measurement plus your height, and NICE uses the same boundaries for everyone.
Children and young people
NICE also applies waist-to-height ratio to children and young people aged 5 and over, using the same method. This calculator is designed for adults; for children, speak to a doctor or use the child and teen BMI calculator for BMI.
Limitations
- The NICE categories apply to people with a BMI under 35; above that, use BMI and medical advice.
- It isn't suitable during pregnancy or with conditions that cause abdominal swelling.
- Measurement position changes the result; use the same method each time.
- WHtR is a screening measure, not a diagnosis. A doctor can assess risk with blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol tests.
Reducing your waist-to-height ratio
Since height doesn't change in adults, lowering WHtR means reducing waist size. Losing excess weight through a balanced diet and regular physical activity is the most reliable approach. The calorie calculator and body fat calculator can help you plan and track progress.
Sources
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity (waist-to-height ratio recommendations, 2022)
- Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S (2012). Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 13(3), 275–286