The Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) is a measurement that compares the circumference of your waist to your hips.
Every one of us understands that obesity is the prime cause of many health problems. Especially, your health will be adversely affected in the area where you have stored body fat. Many people are prone to many health risks even when they have a normal Body Mass Index and a healthy weight. The reason is that the Body Mass Index considers only the total body weight relative to an individual’s height.
Here comes the role of the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator, a simple tool that provides insights into a person’s fat distribution and potential health risks. Many health experts today consider WHR as an effective tool for obtaining a better indication of the user’s overall health risks, as not all excess weight is the same in terms of health risks. Our blog post will thus explore everything related to the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator online tool.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator is an online tool to measure the Waist-to-Hip Ratio, i.e., the circumference of an individual’s waist divided by the circumference of his/her hips. In simple words, the online calculator provides a quick measure of the fat distribution to indicate the overall health of an individual. Research revealed that people with a high waist-hip ratio or those who carry more weight across the mid area than the hips are at high risk of developing certain health problems.
Like other fitness calculators available online, the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator calculates and displays the results automatically based on your provided measurements.
You need to provide the measurements of your waist and hip circumferences with the highest possible accuracy as follows:
To start, you must measure the circumference of your waist, i.e., the distance around your waist. For this, stand up straight and exhale. Later, use a tape measure to measure the waist above your belly button. Select the smallest point of the waist to achieve an accurate measurement.
Now, you need to measure the circumference of your hips. For this, stand up straight and use a tape measure to measure the widest area of your hips. Here, the key is to select the measurement where the tape measure’s ends overlap.
Note: You must strictly avoid pulling your tape measure too tight while measuring both waist and hip circumferences.
Once you enter the measurements, the online calculator will use the formula, i.e., divide your waist circumference by the hip circumference. Depending on your specific requirements and the available online WHR tool, you may get measurements in inches or centimeters, with the ratio remaining constant.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator online tool calculates WHR easily to provide the following benefits:
Many healthcare professionals use the obtained Waist-to-Hip Ratio results as an indicator of obesity and obesity-related health conditions. Accordingly, people with a high WHR value carry more weight across their middle areas, or they have an apple body shape. Research studies have revealed that apple-shaped people have a relatively high risk related to the following health conditions:
WHR value has proved to be an accurate predictor of chronic kidney problems as compared to BMI and other related body metrics.
Various observational studies revealed a close association between the waist-to-hip ratio and the risk related to cardiac arrest/heart attack.
Another trusted source suggested WHR as a risk factor associated with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in both females and males, even when they have healthy and normal body weight.
Accumulation of too much fat across the waist leads to abdominal obesity. Health experts call it visceral fat, as it surrounds your vital organs, including the liver. Visceral fat sends fatty acids, hormones, and other chemicals to cause inflammation in your body. Such fat results in high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose, followed by type 2 diabetes. Other than that, high visceral fat may increase the level of triglyceride, i.e., a body fat present in your blood.
Another study associated with abdominal fat highlighted long-term risk related to cardiovascular problems in a few postmenopausal women, even with a healthy body weight and BMI.
A few studies have further highlighted a close association between the risk of infertility and WHR in women.
The waist-to-hip ratio calculated via the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator serves as a quick and simple method to check the amount of weight you carry across your waist and abdominal area. The ratio determines your level of risk of developing certain metabolic/ adverse health conditions. However, remember that WHR is not a single measurement associated with your body fat, body weight, and health risk.
Only, you must use WHR as a guide to discuss with your doctor related to managing your disease risk factors and body weight. If you have a high WHR as compared to the cut-off points mentioned by the WHO, discuss with your healthcare professional immediately. Your doctor will provide you with a suitable diet plan and recommend a few easy exercises to manage your body weight and reduce your health-related risks.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator displays a single and dimensionless Waist-to-Hip ratio by dividing the circumference of the waist by the circumference of the hip. It thus determines whether you have an apple shape figure, i.e., carry more weight across the waist/abdomen, vs a pear shape, i.e., carry more weight across the hips and thighs.
Maintaining a healthy value of WHR is essential to avoid risks related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and heart attack. For this, one needs the online tool of the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator to know the WHR value and thereby, make the necessary changes in the diet plan or physical exercise routine.
Both BMI and WHR calculators or online tools measure and display different things, and people use them for different purposes. BMI calculators estimate the total body fat of users based on their weight and height. It does not display the area of the stored or visceral fat. WHR calculators display the WHR value or key insights into the fat distribution across the abdominal region. Accordingly, WHR is a relatively accurate indicator of health risks.
According to the research studies followed by reports provided by the WHO, a high value of the Waist-to-Hip Ratio may cause high risks of developing health risks or severe health conditions based on the fat distribution across the abdominal area. Accordingly, the following individuals will experience higher risks:
Any ratio below the mentioned cutoffs has a relatively low risk.
WHR serves as a valuable indicator of health risks because it measures the distribution of visceral or stored fat across the liver and related vital abdominal organs.
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