Your waist against your height
Compute 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 your ratio and risk category.
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.
7 days free · No card · Private
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.
Waist-to-height ratio: normal values
The rule of thumb 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. The last column turns each band into centimetres for someone 1.70 m tall.
| Waist / height | Interpretation | Example at 1.70 m |
|---|---|---|
| < 0.40 | Below the range | < 68 cm |
| 0.40 – 0.49 | Healthy range | 68 – 84 cm |
| 0.50 – 0.59 | Increased risk | 85 – 101 cm |
| ≥ 0.60 | High risk | ≥ 102 cm |
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 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.
What is the difference from waist-to-hip?
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.