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Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
A health indicator independent of weight: it reveals where your body stores fat, and with what level of cardio-metabolic risk.
The waist/hip ratio: an underestimated indicator
The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a better predictor of cardio-metabolic risk than BMI alone, according to several large studies (Lancet, WHO). It reveals where your body stores fat: an abdominal distribution (“apple” shape) is more risky than a gluteal distribution (“pear” shape), for the same BMI.
WHO reference thresholds
Men
- WHR < 0.90: low risk
- 0.90 ≤ WHR < 1.00: moderate risk
- WHR ≥ 1.00: high risk
Women
- WHR < 0.80: low risk
- 0.80 ≤ WHR < 0.85: moderate risk
- WHR ≥ 0.85: high risk
Why abdominal fat is riskier
Visceral fat (around organs, in the abdominal cavity) secretes inflammatory hormones (adipokines) and promotes insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia. It is she who is captured by a high waistline. Subcutaneous fat in the hips is metabolically more neutral.
How to reduce your WHR
The ratio improves as you lose abdominal fat. Three levers: moderate calorie deficit (TDEE − 300 to 500 kcal/d), bodybuilding (preserves muscle mass during loss) and moderate to intense cardio. Visceral fat is in fact the first to be mobilized in the event of a deficit, so improvement comes quickly with a coherent strategy.
Questions fréquentes
Waist circumference alone (>= 94 cm men, >= 80 cm women according to the IDF) is simpler and just as predictive in adults. The WHR adds a dimension: it takes into account individual morphology.
Standing, stomach relaxed, normal exhalation, horizontal tape measure at the level of the navel (not the girth of the pants). Reading on exhalation.
Yes. Visceral fat is very responsive to calorie deficit. Losing 5% of body weight over 2-3 months can reduce waist circumference by 4-6 cm.
The waist/height ratio (with universal threshold 0.5) is also an excellent indicator, sometimes more stable than the WHR because it does not depend on hip circumference.