Waist to hip ratio, like BMI or body fat percentage, is a way to determine ideal weight and assess your risk for obesity related health problems. Simply put, waist to hip ratio is the ratio of the circumference of your waist to the circumference of your hips.

How do you measure waist to hip ratio?

Measure around the smallest part of your waist. For most people, this is just above your belly button. Divide that number by the circumference of the widest part of your hips.

What is a healthy waist to hip ratio?

For men, a waist to hip ratio below 0.9 presents the lowest risk for health complications. A hip to ratio of 0.9 to 0.99 would represent a moderate risk. Anything over 1 is considered a high risk for health problems.

For women, the ideal waist to hip ratio is 0.8 or lower. A ratio of 0.8 to 0.89 could indicate a moderate risk for health problems. A woman with a waist to hip ratio of 0.9 or higher would be at the highest risk for health problems and infertility issues.

Waist to hip ratio is a measurement that can usually be calculated at home without the help of a doctor. It is considered to be more accurate that BMI (body mass index), but not as revealing as a body fat percentage test.