Know your body
Waist-to-height ratio calculator
Waist-to-height ratio is your waist circumference divided by your height. It tracks the fat around your middle, which BMI cannot see — and unlike BMI, it does not punish you for carrying muscle.
Your numbers
Midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, after a normal breath out.
Your ratio appears here
Enter your height and waist. It takes ten seconds with a tape measure.
How it’s calculated
The formula
WHtR = waist ÷ height, both in the same unit. Measure the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, after a normal exhale.
The boundaries
Research led by Margaret Ashwell supports a simple message: keep your waist to less than half your height. Below 0.5 is the healthy range, 0.5–0.6 indicates increased risk, and 0.6+ high risk. It is a screen, not a diagnosis.
Full sources and limitations are on the methodology page. Estimates are for healthy adults and are not medical advice.
Questions
Is waist-to-height ratio better than BMI?
For judging central fat, yes. It is a better predictor of cardiometabolic risk than BMI in most studies, and it is not fooled by muscle mass.
Does it work for lifters?
Well. A heavily muscled person can have a high BMI but a low WHtR, which correctly reflects a lean midsection.