Health & Fitness
Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
Divide waist by height; keeping the result under 0.5 is a common rough guide.
The result is a unit-free ratio comparing waist size with height; a value below 0.5 means the waist is less than half the height, while a value above 0.5 means it is more than half the height.
Formula
Waist-to-height ratio equals waist circumference divided by height, in the same units.
How it works
Both measurements in centimetres are divided, so the result has no units. Because height is included, the same waist means something different for a tall and a short person.
Worked example
For example, a waist of 85 cm and a height of 175 cm give 85 ÷ 175 = 0.486.
FAQs
Why 0.5?
It is a simple public-health guide: waist under half your height.
Is it exact?
No, but it is easy to check and less fooled by muscle than BMI alone.
Should children use it?
Guides differ by age, so this adult guide should not be applied to children.
General information only, not medical advice.
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