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Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator (Ashwell)

Calculate your waist-to-height ratio and see where it falls on the Ashwell shape chart's health risk bands, in metric (cm) or imperial (in) units.

Waist-to-height ratio
0.46
Category
Healthy

Where this falls

0.5 falls in the "Healthy" range.

How it works

Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is simply waist circumference divided by height — a plain ratio, so like this site's waist-to-hip ratio calculator, it needs no internal unit conversion: as long as waist and height are measured in the same unit, which the page-level Metric/Imperial toggle guarantees, the ratio comes out identical either way.

The result is compared against the Ashwell shape chart (Ashwell & Hsieh, 2005), the origin of the widely cited public-health guideline to 'keep your waist circumference to less than half your height': under 0.4 is possibly underweight, 0.4 to just under 0.5 is healthy, 0.5 to just under 0.6 is increased risk, and 0.6 or above is high risk. Unlike waist-to-hip ratio, these bands are the same for both sexes. The gauge below shows exactly where your ratio falls within them.

FAQ

How is this different from BMI or waist-to-hip ratio?

BMI measures overall size from height and weight, without saying where any excess weight sits. Waist-to-hip ratio compares two circumferences to each other. Waist-to-height ratio instead compares abdominal size directly against your own height, which several studies have found tracks cardiometabolic risk at least as well as BMI while being simpler to measure and interpret than waist-to-hip ratio.

Where exactly should I measure my waist for this?

Measure at the narrowest point between the ribs and hip bone, roughly navel level for most people — the same spot used for waist-to-hip ratio. Measure snugly but without compressing the skin, and keep the placement consistent if you're tracking this over time.

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