About

Body weight alone does not determine health risk; the location of fat storage is the critical variable. Visceral fat stored around the abdomen (central obesity) is metabolically active and highly correlated with Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) determines your fat distribution pattern: "Apple" (abdominal fat) or "Pear" (hip/thigh fat). This tool compares your measurements against World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off points to assess metabolic risk, offering a superior preventative check compared to standard BMI.

Formulas

The formula is a dimensionless ratio of circumferences. For accuracy, measurements should be in the same unit (cm or inches).

WHR = C_waistC_hip

Where C_waist is measured at the narrowest point (or midpoint between lowest rib and iliac crest) and C_hip is measured at the widest part of the buttocks.

Reference Data

Health Risk	Men (WHR)	Women (WHR)
Low Risk (Pear Shape)	≤ 0.95	≤ 0.80
Moderate Risk	0.96 - 1.0	0.81 - 0.85
High Risk (Apple Shape)	> 1.0	> 0.85

Frequently Asked Questions

Do not measure at the belt line. Measure at the midpoint between the top of your hip bone (iliac crest) and the bottom of your lowest rib. This is usually just above the belly button. Breathe out naturally before reading the tape.

Abdominal fat (Apple) surrounds vital organs like the liver and pancreas, releasing fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines directly into the portal circulation. Hip and thigh fat (Pear) is subcutaneous and metabolically less active, posing fewer long-term health risks.

Yes. This is often called "Normal Weight Obesity" or "Skinny Fat". Even if your scale weight is normal, a high WHR indicates you carry excess visceral fat, putting you at similar risk for metabolic diseases as someone who is obese.