Waist-to-height ratio calculator
Health & fitnessIs your waist less than half your height?
Your waist-to-height ratio and what it says about fat around the middle, with the NICE bands and the half-your-height rule.
Your measures
What you enter stays on your device while you use this tool. Opening a shared link sends the settings in its address to HowToolbox to prepare the page.
Midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, after breathing out
Waist-to-height ratio
0.46
Healthy central adiposity.
Your numbers
- Half your height
- Waist under 87.5 cm
- BMI (the bands apply below 35)
- 22.9
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NICE waist-to-height bands for adults
The ratio's categories in the NICE guideline, for adults with a BMI under 35. Your row is marked.
| Category | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Below 0.4: under NICE's healthy band | Under 0.40 |
| Healthy central adiposity | 0.40 to 0.49 |
| Increased central adiposity | 0.50 to 0.59 |
| High central adiposity | 0.60 or more |
What the ratio cannot tell you
- Measure your waist and height in the same unit. A waist measured a few centimetres too high or low changes the ratio noticeably.
- NICE uses the ratio together with BMI for adults with a BMI under 35. At 35 or more, BMI alone already shows a high health risk.
- These bands are for adults. Children and young people use different ones, and the ratio does not apply in pregnancy. It is a screening number, not a diagnosis.
Your waist-to-height ratio and what it says about fat around the middle, with the NICE bands and the half-your-height rule.
How to use
- Choose centimetres and kilograms or inches and pounds.
- Enter your height and weight.
- Measure your waist midway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, after breathing out, and enter it.
- Read your ratio, its category and the waist that stays under half your height.
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How it works
Fat around the middle of the body, around the organs, is linked more closely with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease than fat elsewhere. Your waist compared with your height is a simple way to see how much of it you carry, for people of any height.
Waist-to-height ratio = waist ÷ height, both in the same unit. For example, a 96.5 cm waist and a height of 170 cm give 96.5 ÷ 170 = 0.57. The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE guideline NG246) reads the ratio like this: 0.4 to 0.49 is healthy central adiposity, 0.5 to 0.59 increased and 0.6 or more high. Its simple advice: keep your waist to less than half your height.
NICE uses the ratio together with BMI, for adults with a BMI under 35, which is why the calculator also asks for your weight. It does not apply in pregnancy, children use different bands, and like every screening number it says nothing certain about your own health.
Worked example
What is the ratio for a waist of 81 cm and height of 180 cm?
- Use the same unit for both measurements.
Waist-to-height ratio: 81 ÷ 180 = 0.45.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I measure my waist?
Find the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. Wrap the tape around your middle midway between them, which is usually just above the belly button, and breathe out naturally before you read it.
Is this better than BMI?
They measure different things. BMI compares weight with height, while the waist-to-height ratio shows fat around the middle. NICE recommends using both together for adults with a BMI under 35.
Does the half-your-height rule work for everyone?
The same ratio applies to adults of any height and to both men and women, which makes it easy to remember. It is not used in pregnancy, and children and young people have their own bands.
Does the ratio change if I use inches?
No, provided waist and height use the same unit. Converting both by the same factor leaves their ratio unchanged.
Why does changing my weight not change the ratio?
The ratio uses only waist and height. Weight is used for BMI to check whether the adult interpretation bands apply.
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