Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio and general risk category.
WHR = waist circumference ÷ hip circumference. WHO general guidance: risk increases above 0.90 (men) or 0.85 (women).
For general wellness information only — not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personal guidance.
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) measures something BMI structurally cannot: where your body stores fat. Two people can share an identical BMI while one stores fat mainly around the abdomen ("apple" or android shape) and the other around the hips and thighs ("pear" or gynoid shape) — and abdominal fat, particularly visceral fat around the internal organs, carries meaningfully higher cardiovascular and metabolic risk than fat stored lower on the body. WHO defines the risk cutoffs at WHR ≥ 0.90 for men and ≥ 0.85 for women; values at or above those points are classified as increased risk for metabolic complications, while values below indicate the lower-risk pear-shaped pattern.
WHR is simple to measure but easy to measure inconsistently — the waist figure should be taken at the narrowest point of the torso (usually just above the navel), not at the belt line, and the hip figure at the widest point around the buttocks, both without pulling the tape tight enough to compress skin. Measuring at different points on different occasions can shift the ratio enough to change which risk category you fall into, so for tracking change over time, measure at the same two anatomical landmarks every time rather than eyeballing "waist" and "hip" loosely.
WHO's cutoffs are below 0.90 for men and below 0.85 for women as the lower-risk range; a ratio at or above 0.90 (men) or 0.85 (women) is classified as increased risk for metabolic complications like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
BMI can't detect where fat is stored. Two people with the same BMI can have very different fat distribution — abdominal ("apple") versus hip/thigh ("pear") — and abdominal fat around the internal organs carries higher metabolic risk. WHR catches this distinction that BMI structurally cannot.
Measure your waist at its narrowest point, usually just above the navel — not at your belt line, which can be lower or higher depending on how you wear it. Measure your hips at the widest point around your buttocks. Keep the tape snug but not compressing the skin, and measure at the same two points each time for consistent tracking.
Yes — the relationship between WHR and health risk is known to vary by age, sex and population, which is part of why WHO set separate cutoffs for men and women rather than one universal number. It's a useful screening tool but, like BMI, works best alongside other measures rather than as a single standalone verdict.