Alternatives to BMI

Waist-to-Height Ratio

Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height. That's the entire rule. Waist-to-height ratio is one of the simplest health metrics — and research suggests it predicts cardiometabolic risk better than BMI.

The Formula

Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) = waist circumference ÷ height. Both measurements must use the same unit (cm or inches — it doesn't matter which).

Example: Waist 82 cm ÷ Height 175 cm = 0.47 — well below the 0.5 threshold, indicating low abdominal fat risk.

How to measure your waist correctly: Measure at the midpoint between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone — usually around the belly button level. Measure after a normal exhale, without sucking in. Use a flexible tape measure.

Healthy Waist-to-Height Ratio Ranges

WHtR	Category	Applies to
< 0.40	Underweight / very lean	All adults
0.40–0.49	Healthy	All adults
0.50–0.59	Overweight / increased risk	All adults
≥ 0.60	Obese / high risk	All adults

Unlike BMI, WHtR uses a single threshold (0.5) that applies to all adults regardless of sex, age, or ethnicity. This is one of its major practical advantages.

WHtR vs BMI: What the Research Shows

A 2012 meta-analysis (Ashwell et al., 300,000 participants) found that WHtR outperformed BMI at predicting hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease across all ethnic groups. Key findings:

WHtR identified more people at metabolic risk than BMI — including "normal-weight obese" individuals with high abdominal fat but BMI under 25.
The 0.5 threshold worked consistently across ethnicities where BMI thresholds vary (e.g. Asian populations have higher metabolic risk at lower BMIs).
WHtR requires only two measurements (waist + height) vs BMI's two (weight + height) — but waist is more informative because it captures visceral fat directly.

Why visceral fat matters: Fat stored around internal organs (visceral fat) releases inflammatory cytokines and free fatty acids directly into the portal circulation. This drives insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension more directly than subcutaneous fat at the hips and thighs.

WHtR Reference Table by Height

Height	Healthy waist (< 0.5)	Risk threshold (0.5)
155 cm (5'1")	< 77.5 cm / 30.5 in	77.5 cm / 30.5 in
160 cm (5'3")	< 80 cm / 31.5 in	80 cm / 31.5 in
165 cm (5'5")	< 82.5 cm / 32.5 in	82.5 cm / 32.5 in
170 cm (5'7")	< 85 cm / 33.5 in	85 cm / 33.5 in
175 cm (5'9")	< 87.5 cm / 34.5 in	87.5 cm / 34.5 in
180 cm (5'11")	< 90 cm / 35.4 in	90 cm / 35.4 in
185 cm (6'1")	< 92.5 cm / 36.4 in	92.5 cm / 36.4 in
190 cm (6'3")	< 95 cm / 37.4 in	95 cm / 37.4 in

Check your BMI and body fat estimate

Our dashboard gives you BMI, estimated body fat %, ideal weight, calorie targets and more — use it alongside your WHtR for a complete picture.

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Written by Dariusz Łapiński

Dariusz is a software developer and fitness enthusiast who built BMI Tracker to make evidence-based health metrics accessible without the noise of modern wellness apps. The formulas and reference ranges on this site are sourced from WHO guidelines, CDC public health data, and peer-reviewed research.