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Waist to height ratio calculator

The waist to height ratio boils health screening into one rule: keep your waist under half your height. Studies rank it among the best simple predictors of cardiometabolic risk.

Waist to height ratio

Keep your waist under half your height.

Waist to height ratio
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Enter waist and height.

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Your max healthy waist
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Formula: WHtR = waist / height (same units). Aim to keep it under 0.50.
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One rule for everybody

Unlike BMI cutoffs that shift with debate, 0.5 works across sexes and ethnicities: divide waist by height in the same units and stay under a half. It automatically adjusts for tall and short people, which BMI does poorly.

What the bands mean

Under 0.4 can signal being underweight, 0.4 to 0.5 is the healthy zone, 0.5 to 0.6 brings increased risk, and above 0.6 is high risk. The results also show your personal max healthy waist in cm.

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Waist to Height Ratio FAQs

What is a healthy waist to height ratio?
Between 0.4 and 0.5. Under 0.5 is the headline target; under 0.4 may mean underweight.
Is waist to height ratio better than BMI?
For metabolic and heart risk, research says yes. It directly measures central fat while working for all heights without adjustment tables.
Does it work for muscular people?
Better than BMI but not perfect; a very muscular waist can nudge the ratio up without the visceral fat that drives risk.
How do I lower my waist to height ratio?
Lose abdominal fat through a modest calorie deficit, daily walking, and resistance training. Height is fixed, so the waist does all the moving.
Should I use inches or centimeters?
Either, as long as both match. This calculator uses centimeters for both.
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