Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
A person's waist-to-hip measurement compares their waist size with that of their hips.
Research has shown that people who have more body fat around their middle are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. The higher the waist measurement in proportion to the hips, the greater the risk.
For this reason, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a useful tool for calculating whether a person has a healthy weight and size.
Measure your waist-to-hip ratio:
1. Measure around the waist in the narrowest part, usually just above the belly button.
2. Divide this measurement by the measurement around your hip at its widest part.
If a person's waist is 28 inches and their hips are 36 inches, they will divide 28 by 36. This will give them 0.77.
What does it mean?
How WHR affects the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is different for men and women, because they tend to have different body shapes.
Evidence suggests that WHR can impact the risk of CVD as follows:
In males
Below 0.9: The risk of cardiovascular health problems is low.
From 0.9 to 0.99: The risk is moderate.
At 1.0 or over: The risk is high.
In females
Below 0.8: The risk is low.
From 0.8 to 0.89: The risk is moderate.
At 0.9 or above: The risk is high.
However, these figures can vary, depending on the source and the population to which they apply.
WHR may be a better predictor of heart attacks and other health risks than BMI, which does not take fat distribution into consideration.
A study of health records for 1,349 people in 11 countries, published in 2013, showed that those with a higher WHR also have a greater risk of medical and surgical complications relating to colorectal surgery.
However, WHR does not accurately measure a person's total body fat percentage, or their muscle-to-fat ratio.
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