Understanding Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) and How to Calculate It
What is Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR)?
The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a simple yet effective tool for measuring the distribution of body fat. It compares the circumference of your waist to that of your hips in order to provide good indications of the development of certain diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, or obesity.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
The WHR is calculated using the following formula:
WHR=Hip Circumference / Waist Circumference
Why is WHR Important?
The WHR is similar to Body Mass Index as it conveys only the fat about the body. According to studies, people show a higher risk of developing heart diseases and other metabolic disorders with an increased waist-to-hip ratio since this condition indicates higher fat around the waist.
- Men: Above 0.90 WHR is considered high, and the person will be at higher health risk
- Women: Above 0.85 WHR is considered high.
How to Measure Waist and Hip Circumference?
In order to measure a correct WHR, it is important to measure both waist and hip circumferences accurately.
- For waist circumference::
- Locate the top of your hip bone and the lowest point of your rib cage.
- Use a soft measuring tape to wrap around the narrowest point of your waist, typically just above your belly button.
- For hip Circumference:
- Measure all the way around the widest point of your hips, making sure that the tape is parallel to the floor as you go.
How to Use a WHR Calculator?
A WHR calculator is a tool for an easy calculation of your waist-to-hip ratio. You have to put in values of your waist and hip circumferences in inches or centimeters, and it will calculate the ratio for you.
Interpreting Your WHR Results
- For Men:
- Low Risk: WHR < 0.90
- High Risk: WHR > or = 0.90
- For Women:
- Low Risk: WHR < 0.85
- High Risk: WHR > or = 0.85
Benefits of WHR Measurement
- Health Risk Indicator: WHR is an indicator of visceral fat, the type of fat found in and around internal organs. Higher WHR scores are associated with more health risks.
- Simpler than BMI: Unlike BMI, which does not account for fat distribution, WHR is a more accurate measure of fat-associated risks.
- Preventive Tool: Regular measures of WHR reveal changes in fat distribution, prompting possible lifestyle changes.
Limitations of WHR
Although WHR is commonly touted as a superior health measurement, it does have some limitations:
It fails to consider other health conditions such as muscle mass or overall body composition.
Athletes and people with a larger build may have WHRs that are below their average levels.
Access a suite of tools to track and manage your health: calculate your BMI, determine your BMR, monitor weight progress, and estimate your body fat percentage for a complete fitness and wellness plan.
Using the BMI Calculator:
Calculate your Body Mass Index to find out if your weight is healthy or not. This tool will show you how healthy your body is.
Using the BMR Calculator:
Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate and figure out how many calories your body burns when at rest. A key factor in managing weight and metabolism.
Using the Weight Management Calculator:
Use this calculator to monitor your weight loss or weight gain progress. You can set targets and control your body weight based on your daily calorie needs.
Using the Body Fat Calculator:
Estimate your body's body fat to obtain a clearer picture of your fitness level, as well as your overall fitness health. This will help you make the most informed decision on your workout routine.
Conclusion
Incorporating WHR into the health metric clearly gives you an idea of how healthy you are and helps you run the risk of future health conditions. It is, however, best to consider WHR in conjunction with other metrics and lifestyle habits to maintain optimal health. It is always a good idea to approach any health concern about your WHR or other health risks to your health care provider.
A healthy WHR differs according to gender:
The WHR for healthy males is below 0.90.
Males are said to have an acceptable WHR as long as it is less than 0.85. The ratio above these levels signifies a tendency toward the risk of various health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
Absolutely! WHR is one of the best tracks out there to measure the amount of fat on various parts of the body, the abdomen in particular.
You can also track your WHR over time to see how your body fat reduction strategies are effective at reducing visceral fat, which is often linked to higher health risks.
WHR appears to be a better measure of health risk than the BMI because it basically indicates fat distribution around the body rather than just giving a gross value of whole body weight.
While there isn't a clear dividing line for muscle against fat in the BMI of an individual, WHR focuses entirely on abdominal waist, which contains most of the visceral dangerous fat, and is apparently more related to health issues.
WHR is a really useful tool most of the time for the general public, but it ceases to be that great in the case of people who vary a lot in body shape like athletes with more musculature or people who are large naturally.
In these cases, other body composition measurements like body fat percentage may be more useful.
Herald your attempts at changes in fat distribution by measuring your waist-hip ratio every few weeks or months.
Monitoring provides you with an overview of changes that can help you in making lifestyle adjustments to cater for any significant shifts in your fat distribution trend as they come about.