Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR)
The waist to height ratio (WHtR) is a quick and reliable way to estimate whether you’re carrying too much fat around your middle. That's a key risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic problems.
How to Measure
It’s calculated by dividing your waist circumference by your height, using the same units for both. You can measure in centimeters or inches.
Example: If your waist is 80 cm and your height is 170 cm, your WHtR = 0.47.
The rule of thumb is simple:
- Keep your waist less than half your height.
- A ratio below 0.5 is considered healthy.
- Between 0.5 and 0.59 suggests increased risk.
- 0.6 or above indicates high risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Unlike BMI, which doesn’t distinguish between fat and muscle, the WHtR directly reflects abdominal (visceral) fat, the type most strongly linked with chronic illness. Because it adjusts for height, it works across different sexes, ages, and ethnicities with a single universal cutoff.
How to Measure Accurately
- Use a flexible tape measure around your bare waist, midway between your lower ribs and the top of your hipbones.
- Stand relaxed and breathe out normally before measuring.
- Divide that number by your height (in the same units — inches or centimeters).
Quick tip: No calculator? Fold a piece of string in half. If the doubled string doesn’t reach completely around your waist, your waist is larger than half your height.
Clinical guidelines from NICE (UK) and multiple systematic reviews confirm that the WHtR is at least as effective, and often superior, to BMI for predicting obesity-related health risks.
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