Waist-to-Height Ratio

A quick, boundary-line screen of central adiposity. More sensitive than BMI for cardiometabolic risk and easy to track.

Reviewed by Pooja V. Menon, Registered Dietitian · Last updated

Apply the same unit to both fields — the ratio is unit-free.

Thresholds

WHtRNICE 2022 guidance
< 0.40Possibly too low — check clinically
0.40 – 0.49Healthy central adiposity
0.50 – 0.59Increased central adiposity — health risk
≥ 0.60High central adiposity — high health risk

Why use it

The rule “keep your waist less than half your height” is memorable, unit-free, and works across adult age, sex, and ethnicity — advantages BMI and WHR don’t fully share. In South Asian adults, where cardiometabolic risk rises at a lower BMI, WHtR often flags risk earlier than BMI alone.

Sources

  • Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors. Obes Rev 2012;13(3):275–86.
  • Hsieh SD, Yoshinaga H, Muto T. Waist-to-height ratio, a simple and practical index for assessing central fat distribution and metabolic risk in Japanese men and women. Int J Obes 2003.
  • NICE Guideline NG246. Obesity: identification, assessment and management. 2022 (WHtR recommended as an adjunct to BMI in adults ≥ 18).