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Body Mass Index and Weight-to-Height ratio calculator just for your interest. It is kind of fun.

Waist & Weight to Height

select height waist and weight
height
waist
weight

Instructions

Your body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WtHR) indicate if you are under or over your ideal weight.

Enter your height and waist measurements in feet and inches and your weight in pounds (lbs) in the form above. Then click on the button "result".

Your BMI result:
underweight	0 - 18.5 BMI
good	18.5 - 24.9 BMI
best	25 - 29.9 BMI
obese I	30 - 34.9 BMI
obese II	35 - 39.9 BMI
extremely obese	over 40 BMI
Your WtHR result:
risk females	>= 49.2% WtH
healthy	>= 50% WtH
BMI of 25	>= 51% WtH
risk males	>= 53.6% WtH
substantial risk female	>= 54.1% WtH
substantial risk male	>= 58.2% WtH

Waist-to-Height Ratio (WtHR)

The waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) is calculated by dividing your waist size by your height. The WtHR may give a more accurate assesment of health for serious athletes, especially body builders, who have a higher percentage of muscle and a lower percentage of body fat, or for women who have a "pear" rather than an "apple" shape. A WtHR under 50.0% is generally considered healthy.

Current guidelines, as given by the World Health Organization, or the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, only give values for waist circumference. Those at substantially increased risk have the same risk as someone with a BMI of 30. Assuming the average male is 5' 9", and the average female is 5' 4", here are the waist cutoff values, and the corresponding WtHR

Increased Risk

Substantially
Increased Risk

Waist (WtHR)

Waist (WtHR)

Men

37.0" (53.6%)

40.2" (58.3%)

Women

31.5" (49.2%)

34.6" (54.1%)

Some values of WtHR:

Subjects WtHR

Barbie Doll 25.0%

Ken Doll 36.0%

Female College Swimmers 42.4%

Male College Swimmers 42.8%

Willoughby Ideal 45.8%

WHO Increased Risk Females 49.2%

General Healthy Cutoff 50.0%

NHANES Risk Equivalent to BMI of 25 51.0%

WHO Increased Risk Males 53.6%

WHO Substant Risk Females 54.1%

NHANES Risk Equivalent to BMI of 30 57.0%

Willoughby Obese 57.7%

WHO Substantial Risk Males 58.2%

Conclusions about the NHANES data were lifted from Am J Clin Nutr 2002 76 743. An interesting perspective on waist-to-height ratio is provided in Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 May; 27(5): 610-6. Also see Prev Med. 2005 Feb; 40(2): 216-20. Hsieh SD, Muto T., The superiority of waist-to-height ratio as an anthropometric index to evaluate clustering of coronary risk factors among non-obese men and women.

Body-Mass Index (BMI)

The body-mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing your weight (in kg) by the square of your height (in meters). A BMI greater than 25 may indicate that you are overweight, while a BMI greater than 30 generally indicates obesity.

A BMI of 27.8 for men and 27.3 for women is the cutoff point for obesity used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). The National Academy of Sciences' diet and health report suggests the following normal BMI ranges:

Age Normal Range

45 to 54 years 22 to 27

55 to 65 years 23 to 28

Over 65 years 24 to 29

As your weight changes, you can expect to lose about 1" from your waistline for each 6-8 lbs of weight loss.