What Waist–hip Ratio Tells About Your Health

Your health is not only determined by how much body fat you have but also by where your body fat is located. There are different shapes of the body and your body can be classified according to the places your body is storing the fat.

Apple-shaped body – Those who have a lot of fat around the waist.

2. Pear-shaped body – Those who have large fat stored around their hips.

The apple-shaped body faces higher health problems associated with obesity than a pear-shaped body. The body shape is inherited and you have it since birth but with special care, you can keep your weight at a healthy level.

Women having a Waist-hip ratio of 0.8 or less are considered safe while among Men Waist-hip ratio of 0.95 or less is considered safe. While others having a Waist-hip ratio of 1 or higher are overweight and have health problems.

As long as you keep your weight under control it hardly matters if you have an apple or pear-shaped body but with excess weight, you increase the risk of health problems associated with obesity.

Waist to Hip Ratio Chart

Male Female Health Risk-Based Solely on WHR

0.95 or below 0.80 or below Low Risk

0.96 to 1.0 0.81 to 0.85 Moderate Risk

1.0+ 0.85+ High Risk

How to measure your WHR

1. Get a measuring tape, which you can easily wrap around your body.

2. Stand straight with both feet close together, and give measurements as close to the skin as possible.

3. Make a measurement of the hip and waist just when to finish exhaling and begin another inhalation.

4. Write down your measurement Waist Circumference and Hip Circumference.

5. For Hip Circumference keep the tape at the widest part of your hip.

6. Take a second reading for both the measurement for some changes due to breathing.

7. Divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference.

For example, you got waist circumference is 26″ and your hip circumference is 32″

Then 26/32 = .81 so your Waist-hip ratio is .81.

Your health is not only determined by how much body fat you have but also where If your measurement is above .80 for Women and above .95 for Men then you need to take extra care of your weight. Try to keep your weight at a healthy level by eating nutritious food, doing regular exercise, and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits.