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Glossary Health & Fitness

Waist-to-hip ratio

The waist-to-hip ratio divides waist circumference by hip circumference, a measure of where body fat is carried.

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In more detail

A waist of 82 cm and hips of 100 cm give 0.82. Higher values mean more abdominal fat and are linked with greater health risk. The waist-to-height ratio, ideally under 0.5, is a related measure.

Try these tools

Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator

Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) from two tape-measure readings and see how it compares to WHO health-risk categories for your sex.

Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator

Calculate your waist-to-height ratio and see which health-risk band it falls in, with your target waist for a ratio of 0.5.

See also

  • Glossary BMI (body mass index)
    BMI is body weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, a screening number for whether weight is in a healthy range.
  • Glossary Body fat percentage
    Body fat percentage is the share of your total weight that is fat, estimated from tape measurements or skinfolds.
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