Your waist-to-hip ratio hints at how much fat you carry around the middle. Here's what counts as healthy and why it matters.
The World Health Organization considers a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.90 or below healthy for men and 0.85 or below for women. Above those cutoffs, the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes rises. Women's threshold is lower because they naturally carry more fat on the hips and thighs, so a smaller waist-to-hip gap is expected.
| Category | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Low risk | ≤ 0.90 | ≤ 0.85 |
| Moderate | 0.91–0.99 | 0.86–0.89 |
| High risk | ≥ 1.0 | ≥ 0.90 |
Fat stored around the abdomen (an "apple" shape) is more metabolically active and more strongly linked to cardiovascular disease than fat on the hips and thighs (a "pear" shape). Because waist-to-hip ratio captures where you store fat rather than just how much you weigh, it can flag risk that the scale and BMI miss.
Measure your waist at the narrowest point between your ribs and hips, and your hips at the widest point around the buttocks. Keep the tape level and snug, stand relaxed, and measure after a normal exhale. Since the ratio divides one measurement by the other, inches and centimetres give the same result — just be consistent.
BMI uses only height and weight, so it can't tell where fat sits. Two people with the same BMI can have very different risk profiles. Pairing waist-to-hip ratio with your waist-to-height ratio and body fat percentage gives a much fuller picture than any single number.