Health Tools

Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator

Check whether your waist is less than half your height — a simple test of the belly fat linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes — with the Asian Indian waist cut-offs alongside.

Start calculating How it is calculated

0.5The key boundary

2Measurements

0Data sent to us

∞Free to use

The tool

Check your waist-to-height ratio

Measure your waist midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips, after breathing out normally.

Reference

What the ratio means

NICE bands for adults, the same for men and women and for all ethnic groups. They are less reliable at a BMI of 35 or more.

Ratio	Meaning
0.40 – 0.49	Healthy — no increased risk
0.50 – 0.59	Increased central fat — increased health risk
0.60 and over	High central fat — further increased health risk

Waist cut-offs for Asian Indians

	Abdominal obesity at
Men	90 cm (35.4 in) or more
Women	80 cm (31.5 in) or more

Method

How it is calculated

The exact formulas this calculator uses, and where they come from.

Ratio waist ÷ height (same unit for both)

Rule of thumb keep your waist to less than half your height

The ratio is rounded to two decimal places before its band is read, so 0.50 is always "increased".

Belly fat around the organs is more closely linked to heart disease and type 2 diabetes than weight alone, which is why this simple ratio is a useful screen.

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For general information only — not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. These calculators use population formulas that cannot account for every individual, and are meant for adults unless stated. Always speak to a qualified doctor about your health, and never delay seeking care because of a result here.