How big should your waist be at 1.60, 1.70 or 1.80 m?
Work out, in seconds, two health indicators that predict cardiometabolic risk better than BMI: the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). You just need a tape measure. We give you both ratios and your risk category.
Sex (for waist-to-hip)
Fat-distribution / cardiometabolic-risk indicators (Ashwell / WHO). Not a substitute for medical assessment.
That number is only today
In the app you watch it move: weigh-ins, progress photos and the trend of the last weeks in one chart.
Start tomorrow: weigh yourself when you get up, before breakfast, and photograph the first plate of the day.
App: 7 days free · card required · cancel anytime
Why the waist matters more than weight
The waist-to-height ratio divides your waist circumference by your height, in the same units. The reference that has held up best across studies is simple enough to remember: keep your waist below half your height. Below 0.5 is the low-risk zone, 0.5-0.6 raises risk, and 0.6 or above is high. It beats BMI on one specific thing: it looks at WHERE the fat is. Abdominal fat surrounding the organs is the kind most consistently linked with metabolic risk, and BMI cannot see it at all — two people at the same BMI can sit at opposite ends of this ratio. We also give you waist-to-hip, which reads the same distribution from a different angle.
Maximum healthy waist for your height
The rule the table encodes: your waist should measure less than half your height. It is the same threshold for men and women, and it catches abdominal fat that BMI misses. For each height, the waist in centimetres where each band starts.
| Height | Healthy (0.40-0.49) | Increased risk from (0.50) | High risk from (0.60) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.50 m | 60 – 74 cm | 75 cm | 90 cm |
| 1.55 m | 62 – 76 cm | 77 cm | 93 cm |
| 1.60 m | 64 – 79 cm | 80 cm | 96 cm |
| 1.65 m | 66 – 81 cm | 82 cm | 99 cm |
| 1.70 m | 68 – 84 cm | 85 cm | 102 cm |
| 1.75 m | 70 – 86 cm | 87 cm | 105 cm |
| 1.80 m | 72 – 89 cm | 90 cm | 108 cm |
| 1.85 m | 74 – 91 cm | 92 cm | 111 cm |
| 1.90 m | 76 – 94 cm | 95 cm | 114 cm |
Computed with the same function as the calculator (waist / height, rounded to two decimals). Thresholds from NICE (guideline CG189, 2022 update) and Ashwell. The WHO puts high risk at a 102 cm waist in men and 88 cm in women. These are reference ranges for healthy adults, not a diagnosis or individual advice.
FAQ
What waist size is normal for my height?
Less than half your height. At 1.60 m, risk rises from a 80 cm waist and is high from 96 cm; at 1.70 m, from 85 and 102 cm; at 1.80 m, from 90 and 108 cm. The threshold is the same for men and women.
What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
Below 0.5 is generally considered low risk, and the rule of thumb is simply that your waist should measure less than half your height. Between 0.5 and 0.6 risk rises, and 0.6 or above is the high-risk band. The same cut-offs apply to men and women.
Where exactly do I measure the waist?
At the midpoint between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, which for most people is around navel height. Stand relaxed, tape snug without compressing, and read at the end of a normal exhale — do not suck in. Measure at the same time of day for comparable numbers.
Is it better than BMI?
For abdominal-fat risk, yes, and several large reviews agree: it separates people that BMI lumps together. That does not make BMI useless, it makes them complementary — BMI reads overall size, this ratio reads distribution.
How is it different from waist-to-hip ratio?
Waist-to-height compares your waist against your own height, so it scales to your frame. Waist-to-hip compares waist against hips, which captures the classic apple-versus-pear shape. They usually agree; when they disagree, it is normally because hip circumference is driven by muscle rather than fat.
Keep reading
- Visceral fat: how to reduce it →
- How to lose belly fat →
- BMI: what it is and where it fails →
- Measuring progress beyond the scale →
Have a website? Add this calculator to it
Copy the code and paste it into your page: in WordPress, use a “Custom HTML” block. It fits the width, works on phones and has no ads or cookies.
<iframe src="https://www.renzy.app/insertar/en/calculadora-indice-cintura-altura" title="Waist-to-height ratio" width="100%" height="760" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:680px" loading="lazy" data-renzy-calculadora></iframe> <p style="font-size:13px;margin:6px 0 0"><a href="https://www.renzy.app/en/waist-to-height-ratio">Waist-to-height ratio</a> by Renzy</p> <script src="https://www.renzy.app/insertar.js" async></script>
Dark background on your site? Add ?tema=oscuro to the end of the iframe URL.