Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Calculate your waist-to-height ratio — a simple screening measure some health guidelines use alongside BMI.
The 'keep your waist below half your height' guideline
Waist-to-height ratio is built around a simple, memorable public health message: keeping your waist circumference under half your height is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk. A ratio of 0.5 or below is generally considered the healthy target range in most guidelines that use this measure.
Some researchers consider this ratio a better general screening tool than BMI alone, since it captures central (abdominal) fat distribution — which is more strongly linked to health risk than overall body weight — while remaining just as simple to calculate at home.
How it complements other measures
No single body composition measure tells the whole story — waist-to-height ratio, BMI, and waist-to-hip ratio each capture a slightly different aspect of body composition and risk. Using more than one measure together, alongside factors like activity level and family health history, gives a fuller picture than relying on any single number.
As with other simple screening tools on this site, this is meant to inform general awareness, not to serve as a diagnostic tool — a healthcare provider can interpret these numbers in the context of your complete health picture.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to convert units before entering my measurements?
No — just make sure both waist and height are entered in the same unit (both inches or both centimeters), since the ratio itself is unitless as long as they match.
Is waist-to-height ratio better than BMI?
They measure different things — some research suggests waist-to-height ratio may be a better indicator of central fat distribution and related health risk, but most health professionals view them as complementary rather than one strictly replacing the other.