Waist-to-height ratio calculator
Divide your waist by your height. Keep it under 0.5, which means your waist is less than half your height.
Add your height and waist to see your ratio.
Waist-to-height ratio bands
| Ratio | Band |
|---|---|
| Under 0.4 | Low: can mean too little body fat |
| 0.4 to 0.49 | Healthy |
| 0.5 to 0.59 | Increased risk |
| 0.6 or more | High risk |
Why waist-to-height beats BMI
Fat around your middle is more closely tied to diabetes and heart disease than your total weight is, and BMI can't tell where fat sits. A meta-analysis of studies with over 300,000 adults found waist-to-height ratio picked out high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease better than BMI or waist size alone, for men and women and across ethnic groups.
How to measure your waist
Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips. Wrap the tape around your middle halfway between them, usually just above your belly button. Breathe out normally and read the tape without pulling it tight.
Questions
What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
0.4 to 0.49. The UK's NICE guideline treats 0.5 to 0.59 as increased health risk and 0.6 or more as high risk.
Is waist-to-height ratio better than BMI?
For heart and metabolic risk, yes. It reflects fat around your middle, which BMI can't see, and it works the same way for everyone.
Sources
- Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors. Ashwell et al., Obesity Reviews, 2012.
- Overweight and obesity management, guideline NG246. NICE, 2025.
Go deeper: Why Ageon uses waist-to-height ratio