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Do you know your waist-to-hip ratio?
If you’re on a weight care journey or considering weight loss medication, you’re probably already well aware of your weight and your body mass index (BMI). But do you know your WHR? (That’s short for waist-to-hip ratio.) A growing body of research suggests your waist-hip ratio may be a better indicator of your health and risk of certain health issues than your BMI alone.
Read on to learn more about how this quick measurement can help paint a fuller picture of your health risks and overall wellness—and how to use the Found Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator to determine yours.
What is waist-to-hip ratio?
As you might guess, your waist-to-hip ratio is the circumference of your waist (in inches or centimeters) divided by the circumference of your hips (in the same unit of measurement). For example, if your waist circumference is 40 inches and your hip circumference is 44 inches, your waist-to-hip ratio is 40 divided by 44, or 0.90.
How does Found’s waist-to-hip ratio calculator work?
Simply enter your waist circumference and hip circumference, and sex at birth. The calculator will figure out your ratio and, based on the latest risk information, offer insights about what your number may signify and whether using that number along with your weight or your BMI may be helpful. (Use the Found BMI Calculator here.)
Note: The Found Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator is not intended as medical advice or a substitute for speaking with a trusted health care provider.
Why is WHR important?
While BMI is still widely used to diagnose obesity, it’s a very basic weight-for-height calculation. It doesn’t measure your body composition (how much of your body is fat versus muscle and bone) or factor in your fat distribution (where fat accumulates). And that means it can paint an overly gloomy—or rosy—picture if it’s the only measure used to assess your health.
For example: Despite being very fit, an Olympic weight lifter with lots of muscle and very little body fat may have a BMI that indicates morbid obesity. Conversely, despite having a low or normal BMI for their height, a person with a thicker midsection or an apple-shaped body may have more abdominal or visceral fat and be at greater risk for health conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Waist-to-hip ratio is more a measure of abdominal obesity (or fat stored around organs), which research suggests is more directly tied to metabolic health risks, cardiovascular disease risk, and chronic diseases than simply having a high BMI.
Body shape has also been used as an “eyeball measure” of WHR: People with a more pear-shaped body tend to have a lower WHR. Those who are more apple-shaped tend to have a higher WHR.
How do you measure yourself to determine your waist-to-hip ratio?
Gather a flexible but stretch-resistant measuring tape, such as a tailor’s tape measure. Stand upright with weight distributed evenly between both feet. You might also want to ask a friend or family member to help you measure.
- Measure your waist: Find the midpoint between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips. This midpoint is your waist. Wrap the tape around your waist, starting and ending just above your belly button, with the tape parallel to the floor. Take a few normal breaths, and after your last exhale, pull the tape taut (it should be snug but not cutting into you) and pinch the tape to mark where it meets itself. Let the end of the tape drop and note the pinch point. This measurement is your waist circumference.
- Measure your hips: Wrap the tape around your hips, starting and ending at the same hip bone and wrapping around the fullest part of your buttocks, with the tape parallel to the floor. Take a few normal breaths, and after your last exhale, pull the tape taut (it should be snug but not cutting into you) and pinch the tape to mark where the tape meets itself. Let the end of the tape drop and note the pinch point. This number is your hip circumference.
- Next, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement or enter them in the Found Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator. The calculator will do the math and offer insights based on your ratio and other characteristics, like age and biological sex.
What’s the ideal waist-to-hip ratio?
Researchers worldwide are still studying variances based on biological sex, age, geography, race, and ethnicity, so there is no ideal number to aim for. However, WHRs approaching or higher than one correlate with an elevated risk for metabolic disorders (including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke) and have been identified as independent risk factors for death from all causes. So, lower is better.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), waist-to-hip ratios of 0.85 or higher in women and 0.90 or higher in men signify abdominal obesity and a “substantially elevated” risk of metabolic complications.
Based on the WHO guidelines, lower-risk waist-hip ratios are:
- Less than 0.90 for men
- Less than 0.85 for women
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