Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Enter your waist circumference and height (in the same units) to calculate your waist-to-height ratio — a simple screening measure some research suggests may better reflect health risk than BMI alone, since it accounts for where body fat is carried.
How the Waist-to-Height Ratio formula works
A simple ratio:
Waist-to-height ratio = Waist circumference / Height
A commonly cited guideline is to keep this ratio below 0.5 — in other words, waist circumference less than half of height.
Step-by-step calculation
- Measure waist circumference at the narrowest point (or at the navel) and height, in the same units.
- Divide waist by height to get the ratio.
Worked example
A waist of 34 inches and height of 70 inches: Ratio = 34 / 70 ≈ 0.486, just under the commonly cited 0.5 guideline.
Frequently asked questions
Why use waist-to-height ratio instead of BMI?
BMI doesn't distinguish where fat is stored, while waist-to-height ratio specifically reflects abdominal fat, which some research links more directly to cardiometabolic risk. Neither measure alone gives a complete picture of health.
What ratio is considered healthy?
A ratio below 0.5 is a commonly cited general guideline for adults, though thresholds can vary somewhat by population and research source.