Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
A simple early-warning sign: keep your waist under half your height.
Enter your details to see your result.
What waist-to-height ratio tells you
Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) compares the size of your waist to your height. It is one of the simplest and most telling health signals you can measure at home, because it focuses on where you store fat rather than just how much you weigh.
Fat stored around your middle, called visceral fat, sits around your organs and is the kind most strongly linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other problems. Your BMI cannot see this, because it only knows your weight and height. Two people with the same BMI can carry very different amounts of belly fat, and waist-to-height ratio is how you tell them apart.
How to measure and calculate it
The formula is as simple as it gets, and it works in any units as long as both numbers match.
Waist-to-height ratio = waist ÷ height (same units)
Measure your waist at the level of your navel, midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. Keep the tape level and snug but not tight, and breathe out normally. Then divide that by your height. An 80 cm waist and 180 cm height give a ratio of 0.44. You do not need to do the maths: enter your numbers above and the calculator handles it.
The healthy ranges
The widely used rule is simple: keep your waist under half your height, so a ratio below 0.5. The bands below add a little more detail.
| Ratio | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| Below 0.40 | Possibly low, check you are not underweight |
| 0.40 to 0.49 | Healthy |
| 0.50 to 0.59 | Increased risk, worth acting on |
| 0.60 and above | High risk |
The same thresholds apply across most heights and for both women and men, which is what makes waist-to-height ratio so easy to use and to remember.
Why it can beat BMI
BMI is a fast, useful screen, but it is blind to body shape. A muscular person can read as overweight, and a slim-looking person can store risky visceral fat while sitting in the normal BMI range. Waist-to-height ratio catches that second case, the so-called skinny-fat pattern, that BMI misses entirely.
How to act on your number
A single reading is a starting point. The value comes from pairing it with the rest of your picture and watching the trend.
Check your BMI and body fat percentage alongside it for the fuller picture, and use the muscle tracker to follow your waist and body composition over the weeks. Where your waist is heading matters far more than any single measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good waist-to-height ratio?
A good waist-to-height ratio is below 0.5, which means your waist measures less than half your height. Staying under 0.5 is linked to lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other conditions tied to visceral fat. The ratio works the same way for almost everyone, regardless of height or sex, which is part of why it is so useful.
How do I calculate my waist-to-height ratio?
To calculate your waist-to-height ratio, divide your waist measurement by your height in the same units. For example, an 80 cm waist and a 180 cm height give 80 / 180 = 0.44. The calculator above does this for you and also shows what your number means, plus your BMI and body fat for context.
Is waist-to-height ratio better than BMI?
For spotting hidden health risk, waist-to-height ratio is often a better early warning than BMI because it focuses on fat stored around your middle, the most harmful kind. BMI only uses weight and height and cannot see where fat sits. The two work best together: BMI for a fast screen, waist-to-height for the visceral-fat picture.
Where do I measure my waist?
Measure your waist at the level of your navel, midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones. Keep the tape horizontal and snug against your skin but not pressed in, and breathe out normally before reading it. Measuring the same spot each time matters more than getting it perfect once.
What does a waist-to-height ratio over 0.5 mean?
A waist-to-height ratio of 0.5 to 0.6 suggests increased health risk, and 0.6 or above suggests high risk. It points to more visceral fat around your organs, which is linked to heart and metabolic problems. It is a signal to act through waist-focused habits like better food, more movement and strength training, not a diagnosis on its own.
What is a healthy waist size for my height?
A healthy waist size is less than half your height. Take your height, halve it, and that is your target maximum waist. For someone 170 cm tall the target is under 85 cm; for someone 180 cm it is under 90 cm. The calculator works this out for you and flags when your waist crosses the line.
Keep reading
One measurement and one rule of thumb. Why waist-to-height ratio is a better quick health screen than BMI for many people.
BMI cannot tell muscle from fat and ignores age, sex and fat distribution. Here is what it gets wrong, and how to use it well anyway.
The scale only tells you total weight. Body composition shows whether you are losing fat or muscle, which is what actually matters.