Waist-to-height ratio calculator
Your BMI says nothing about where your weight sits, while belly fat is exactly the fat that correlates most strongly with health risk. This tool calculates your waist-to-height ratio using the NICE guideline, and checks your waist size against the WHO's absolute thresholds at the same time. Not sure if medically supervised weight loss fits your situation? Take the free check.
- Waist-to-height ratio
- waist / height
Measure your waist at the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out calmly. Don't pull your stomach in, and keep the tape straight, not too tight.
Why waist size tells you more than BMI
BMI only looks at weight and height, not at where that weight sits on your body. Two people with the exact same BMI can still carry very different health risk, depending on whether their fat gathers mostly around the belly or elsewhere. Belly fat, also called visceral fat, sits around the organs and is metabolically more active than fat under the skin elsewhere on the body: it's more strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and raised blood pressure.
That's why science increasingly points to waist circumference, or the waist-to-height ratio, as a complement to BMI. The UK's NICE health body recommends the waist-to-height ratio as a measure of health risk, alongside BMI. This tool shows you both sides: the ratio relative to your height, and the absolute thresholds in centimetres the World Health Organization (WHO) uses.
The two numbers complement each other, they don't replace one another. Someone with a healthy BMI but a markedly increased waist size still carries increased health risk. For completeness, calculate your BMI too.
How to measure correctly
Measure your waist standing up, with a tape measure, at the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. That point usually sits just above your navel, not on it. Breathe out calmly before reading the tape, and don't pull your stomach in: that gives an overly optimistic number that doesn't reflect your actual waist size.
Keep the tape horizontal and just snug enough to touch your skin, without pressing in. Measure preferably in the morning before breakfast, and at the same time of day if you want to compare your result later. A couple of centimetres' difference in measuring point can already noticeably change the outcome, so consistency matters more than millimetre precision.
Measuring at the narrowest point of your waist instead of at the correct anatomical point often gives a number that's too low. Use the points above, not whichever spot happens to look narrowest.
The thresholds explained
NICE guideline (ratio) and WHO thresholds (absolute waist size)
There are two complementary ways to assess your waist size: as a ratio relative to your height, and as an absolute number in centimetres with a separate cutoff for men and women. This tool shows both.
- Healthy
- Waist size in a healthy ratio to your height.
- 0.4 - 0.49
- Increased risk
- Increased risk of weight-related conditions.
- 0.5 - 0.59
- Markedly increased risk
- Markedly increased risk, worth discussing with your doctor.
- 0.6 and above
- Normal
- Within the healthy cutoff the WHO uses.
- < 94 cm · < 80 cm
- Increased
- Increased risk according to the WHO.
- ≥ 94 cm · ≥ 80 cm
- Markedly increased
- Markedly increased risk according to the WHO.
- ≥ 102 cm · ≥ 88 cm
The ratio and the absolute threshold don't always point the same way, because the ratio scales with your height and the absolute cutoff doesn't. Use them together, not in isolation.
When to see your doctor
An increased waist size isn't a diagnosis by itself, but it is a signal. If you fall into the increased or markedly increased category, especially combined with high blood pressure, persistent fatigue, unrelenting thirst, or a family history of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, it's worth discussing with your doctor.
Even if your BMI sits neatly within the healthy range while your waist size is increased, the same advice applies. That pattern, sometimes called 'normal weight, high risk', can still mean increased metabolic risk that BMI alone doesn't show.
Not sure what your waist size means for your health, or want to work on it with guidance? A doctor and coach can look at the next step together with you.
Take the free checkGeneral information
about GLP-1 medication.
Below you'll find an overview of the best-known GLP-1 medications. This is general, informational content. Which medication, dosage or treatment is right for you is always determined by a doctor during a personal intake, alongside lifestyle guidance.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, originally developed for type 2 diabetes. It is also prescribed for people with overweight and obesity.
- Active ingredient
- Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics a naturally occurring hormone in the body.
- Usage
- Once a week via a subcutaneous injection using a prefilled pen.
- Target group
- Registered for type 2 diabetes. Can also be prescribed for overweight and obesity.
- How it works
- Regulates blood sugar levels, reduces appetite and slows gastric emptying for a longer-lasting feeling of fullness.
- Potential weight loss
- An average of 10-15% with regular use and a healthy lifestyle.
- Side effects
- Mainly nausea, gastrointestinal complaints and fatigue. These usually decrease over time.
This medication is available on prescription only and should be used under professional medical supervision. A personal screening and regular check-ins are essential for safe and effective treatment. This medication is not covered by health insurance.
Everything you want to know
about waist size.
- What is a healthy waist-to-height ratio?
- A waist-to-height ratio between 0.4 and 0.49 counts as healthy under the NICE guideline. From 0.5 it's increased risk, from 0.6 markedly increased risk. Calculate your ratio above.
- What is a healthy waist size according to the WHO?
- According to the WHO, a waist size under 94 cm for men and under 80 cm for women is normal. Above that it's increased risk, above 102 cm (men) or 88 cm (women) markedly increased.
- Why does waist size matter more than BMI?
- Waist size measures something different from BMI: it indicates where your fat sits, and belly fat correlates more strongly with health risk than fat elsewhere on the body. For completeness, calculate your BMI too, the two numbers complement each other.
- How do I measure my waist correctly?
- Measure at the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out calmly, without pulling your stomach in. See the measuring guide above for the full steps.
- What is a waist-to-hip ratio and when is it increased?
- The waist-to-hip ratio is your waist size divided by your hip size. According to the WHO, a ratio above 0.90 (men) or 0.85 (women) points to abdominal obesity. Calculate it with the extra module in the tool above, or ask about medical guidance if you're unsure what it means for you.
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