Waist-to-height ratio

A person's waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), also called waist-to-stature ratio (WSR), is defined as their waist circumference divided by their height, both measured in the same units. The WHtR is a measure of the distribution of body fat. Higher values of WHtR indicate higher risk of obesity-related cardiovascular diseases; it is correlated with abdominal obesity.[1]

A 2010 study that followed 11,000 subjects for up to eight years concluded that WHtR is a much better measure of the risk of heart attack, stroke or death than the more widely used body mass index.[2] A 2011 study that followed 60,000 participants for up to 13 years found that, after adjustment for attained age, waist–hip ratio, especially if adjusted for BMI, was a better predictor of ischemic heart disease mortality than WHtR, and either is better than BMI alone.[3]

Conversely, WHtR was not a predictor for new-onset diabetes mellitus in at least one study.[4]

A WHtR of over 0.5 is critical and signifies an increased risk; a 2010 systematic review of published studies concluded that "WHtR may be advantageous because it avoids the need for age-, sex- and ethnic-specific boundary values".[5] In April 2022, the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (a government body) proposed new guidelines which suggested that all adults "ensure their waist size is less than half their height in order to help stave off serious health problems".[6]