The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the calculation of waist and hip measurements to check a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is because the higher the concentration of abdominal fat, the greater the risk of having problems like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure or atherosclerosis.
The presence of these diseases along with excess fat in the abdominal region of the body also increases the risk of more serious health problems, such as heart attack, stroke and liver fat, which can leave sequels or lead to death. To identify early on, know what the symptoms of heart attack are.
Fill in your data and see your result for the Waist-to-Hip ratio test:
In addition to this waist-to-hip ratio, calculating BMI is also a good way to assess the risk of having excess weight-related illnesses. Calculate your BMI here.
How to calculate
To calculate the waist-hip ratio, a tape measure should be used to evaluate:
- Waist size, which should be measured in the narrowest part of the abdomen or in the region between the last rib and the navel;
- Size of the hip, which should be measured in the widest part of the buttocks.
Next, one must divide the value obtained from the waist size by the hip size.
How to interpret the results
The results of the waist-to-hip ratio vary according to gender and should be at most 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men.
Results equal to or higher than these values indicate a high risk for cardiovascular diseases, and it is important to remember that the higher the value, the greater the risk. In these cases, it is advised to seek medical help to check if there are already health problems and to go to a nutritionist to start a diet plan that allows weight loss and reduced risk of disease.
Waist-to-hip risk table
| Health risk | Woman | men |
| Low | Less than 0.80 | Less than 0.95 |
| Moderate | 0.81 to 0.85 | 0.96 to 1.0 |
| High | Superior 0, 86 | Superior 1.0 |
In addition, it is important to monitor weight loss and make new waist and hip measurements to assess the decreased risk as treatment is followed properly.
To lose weight, see simple tips at:
- 8 Ways to Lose Weight Without Effort
- How to know how many pounds do I need to lose weight?
