Waist-to-Hip Ratio

WHR is a simple proxy for fat distribution and cardiometabolic risk, often more useful than BMI in South Asian adults.

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

Apply the same unit to both waist and hip — ratio is unit-free.

How to measure
  • Waist: at the midpoint between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone (roughly the natural waist, above the belly button for most people). Measure on relaxed exhale.
  • Hip: around the widest part of the buttocks, with feet together.
  • Use a flexible measuring tape, snug but not compressing the skin.

WHO cutoffs

RiskMenWomen
Low< 0.90< 0.80
Moderate0.90 – 0.990.80 – 0.84
High≥ 1.00≥ 0.85

Why it matters

Abdominal (“android”) fat around organs is more strongly associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular risk than fat deposited around hips and thighs. WHR captures this distribution in a way BMI can’t.

Source

World Health Organization. Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation. Geneva, 2008.