In addition to the Body Mass Index (BMI), the Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR) is another means by which health care professionals estimate an individual’s body composition.1 It is defined as an individual’s waist circumference divided by height, and it is a measure of the distribution of body fat. Higher values of the ratio indicate higher risk of obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.2 Enter your information in inches into the Waist to Height Ratio Calculator to determine your ratio.
Waist to Height Ratio Calculator Results
The chart below categorizes the ratios and provides a description of each category for men.
| WHtR | Description |
| <35% | Underweight |
| 35 - 43% | Healthy: Slim |
| 43 - 53% | Healthy |
| 53 - 58% | Overweight |
| 58 - 63% | Seriously Overweight |
| >63% | Morbidly Obese |
Waist to Height Ratio Calculator
Waist (in inches)
Height (in inches)
How to Determine Your WHtR
First, measure your waist size with a tape measure at the belly button. Do not measure your waist where your pants sit. This area is often smaller than your waist at the belly button. It is important to actually measure your waist size and not rely on your pant size. Many clothing manufactures actually make their sizes larger than they state on the label to avoid offending customers.
BMI vs. Waist to Height Ratio
BMI is generally more well known than the waist to height ratio for measuring body composition. Nevertheless, many physicians believe the latter to be the better of the two.2-5 This superiority is due to the fact that BMI can be skewed by an individual’s frame or quantity of muscle mass. The WHtR is a far better measure of body composition for an individual with a significant amount of muscle mass. In fact, the European Congress on Obesity recently stated that it is the best way to predict a person’s risk of serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Unlike BMI, the WHtR is based on waist size, which is the most dangerous place to carry weight. Abdominal fat affects organs like the heart, liver and kidneys more adversely than fat around the hips and bottom, in terms of cardiometabolic risk.
External Resources: Wikipedia: Waist to Height Ratio
