Waist-to-height ratio
Waist circumference divided by height. It captures something BMI misses - where weight sits - and the guidance built on it fits in one sentence.
What the guidance says
The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), among others, recommends adults keep their waist measurement to less than half their height - a ratio below 0.5 - because fat carried around the middle is the kind most associated with metabolic risk at a population level. NICE describes 0.5 and above as increased central adiposity, and 0.6 and above as further increased.
The appeal of the ratio is that it needs no charts, no adjustment for sex, and only a tape measure. Its weakness is the same as any single number: it is a population screen, not an individual assessment.
Measuring your waist properly
- Measure midway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone - roughly level with your navel for most people, but the bones are the landmarks, not the navel
- Directly against skin or one thin layer, tape snug but not compressing
- Breathe out normally, then read the tape
- Not where your belt sits - belts ride below the waist on many people, which is exactly the flattering error you do not want in a measurement
Where this comes from
NICE guideline NG246, Overweight and obesity management, which recommends the waist-to-height ratio alongside BMI: nice.org.uk/guidance/ng246.
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