Waist-to-height ratio
A waist over half your height went with more heart disease, diabetes and death.
How to do it
- Stand up straight and breathe out normally.
- Find the point halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone, at the side.
- Measure around your waist there, keeping the tape level and snug but not tight.
- Enter that and your height. The guide applies to adults with a body mass index under 35.
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What the research found
Across studies of more than 300,000 adults, waist-to-height ratio picked out diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease better than body mass index or waist size alone. In 20 studies of death rates, a higher ratio went with 16% higher risk of death for each step of one standard deviation. NICE, England's health guidance body, advises keeping your waist under half your height.
Studied in: Over 300,000 adults in many countries, and 20 studies of death rates.
- Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S. Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors. Obes Rev. 2012;13(3):275-86. PubMed
- Abdi Dezfouli R et al. Waist to height ratio as a simple tool for predicting mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Obes. 2023;47(12):1286-301. PubMed
- NICE. Overweight and obesity management (NG246), 2025. Source