How to Use the WHR Calculator
Enter waist and hip measurements in cm or inches. Get your WHR and health risk category based on WHO guidelines for your gender.
WHR Calculator Formula
WHR = Waist (cm) / Hip (cm)Male risk= <0.90 low | 0.90–0.99 moderate | ≥1.0 highFemale risk= <0.80 low | 0.80–0.89 moderate | ≥0.90 high
Example Calculation
Female, waist 75 cm, hip 95 cm:
WHR = 75/95 = 0.79
WHR = 0.79 — Low risk
What Waist-to-Hip Ratio Tells You
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is exactly what it sounds like: your waist measurement divided by your hip measurement. It is a simple, free way to assess something BMI cannot — where your body stores fat. This matters because abdominal fat, the kind that sits around your organs, is far more dangerous to your heart and metabolism than fat carried on the hips and thighs. Two people with identical BMIs can have very different health risks depending on their fat distribution, and WHR captures that difference.
How to Measure Correctly
WHR is only useful if you measure consistently. A few centimetres of error changes the ratio, so take care.
- Waist: measure at the narrowest point, usually just above the belly button, after breathing out normally — do not suck in.
- Hips: measure at the widest point of your buttocks.
- Keep the tape level and snug but not compressing the skin.
- Divide waist by hip. For example, a 90 cm waist and 100 cm hips give a WHR of 0.90.
What the Numbers Mean
The WHO defines elevated health risk at a WHR above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women. South Asians, including Indians, tend to carry more abdominal fat at a given size, so it is wise to treat these as upper limits rather than comfortable targets.
- Men: below 0.90 is healthier; 0.90 and above signals elevated risk.
- Women: below 0.85 is healthier; 0.85 and above signals elevated risk.
- A useful companion measure is absolute waist size: above 90 cm for Indian men and 80 cm for Indian women indicates increased risk regardless of WHR.
WHR Alongside BMI
WHR and BMI answer different questions, and together they give a far more honest picture than either alone. BMI tells you whether your overall weight is in a healthy range for your height; WHR tells you whether the fat you carry is in a dangerous place. The combination matters most for the "normal weight but high waist" case — someone with an acceptable BMI but a high WHR still carries elevated cardiovascular risk that BMI completely misses. If your WHR is high, that is a signal worth acting on with diet and activity, and worth discussing with a doctor. Check your BMI alongside this with the BMI calculator for the full assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WHR better than BMI?
WHR is better at predicting cardiovascular risk because it measures fat distribution. Abdominal fat (high WHR) is more dangerous than fat elsewhere, even at a normal BMI. Use both for a complete picture.