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Waist-to-hip ratio
Waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a more accurate indicator of fat location and health risks than weight alone. Measure your waist and hips, calculate the ratio, and track your progress. If necessary, supplement your monitoring with a body measurement – the results are immediately available in the MyJournal service.
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What does waist-to-hip ratio mean?
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) describes the ratio between the circumference of the waist and the circumference of the hips. It tells you where the fat is located: in the midsection or in the hips and thighs. The location of the fat is important because visceral fat is associated with an increased risk of disease.
The waist-to-hip ratio is calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference. For example, if a person’s waist circumference is 80 cm and their hip circumference is 100 cm, the waist-to-hip ratio is calculated as 80 cm ÷ 100 cm = 0.80.
Why is the waist-to-hip ratio important?
The waist-to-hip ratio is an important health indicator because it provides an indication of the distribution of body fat. Fat that accumulates in the middle of the body, known as visceral fat, has been linked to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Studies have shown that a high waist-to-hip ratio can be a sign of high levels of visceral fat, which is fat around the organs. This makes the waist-to-hip ratio an important metric, especially when assessing health risks. Fat that accumulates in the hip area does not usually increase the risk as much. Therefore, the calculation formula complements the body mass index and gives a better picture of health risks.
How to measure your waist-to-hip ratio?
Measuring your waist-to-hip ratio is simple and only requires a tape measure. Here’s how to do it:
- Measure your waist circumference: Place the tape measure at the level of your belly button and measure your waist circumference. Make sure the tape measure is horizontal and tight, but not too tight.
- Measure your hip circumference: Place the tape measure around the widest part of your hips and measure the circumference.
- Calculate the ratio: Divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference.
The limits of a healthy waist-to-hip ratio are:
- Women: Less than 0.85
- Men: Less than 0.9
Exceeding this value indicates waist obesity and visceral fat. In this case, it’s a good idea to review your lifestyle and monitor your body composition.
The weakness of waist-hip ratio is that even a fit or slim person can exceed the normal range due to their body structure.
Waist-hip ratio and body composition measurement
Waist-hip ratio gives an indication of your body condition, but does not tell you the exact amounts of fat, muscle mass or body fluids. That is why body composition measurement is a useful addition. Body measurement estimates your body fat percentage, muscle mass and visceral fat. The results are saved in the MyJournal service for continuous monitoring. By understanding your body composition, you can make better decisions
How do you improve your waist-to-hip ratio?
Reducing mid-body fat is possible with consistent lifestyle changes.
1. Diet
- Eat a healthy and varied diet. Focus on protein, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Avoid sugary drinks and highly processed foods.
- Reduce alcohol consumption.
2. Exercise
- Focus especially on endurance and strength training. Strength training helps build muscle mass, while endurance exercise supports fat burning.
- Long-term endurance exercise is the best form of exercise to reduce fat accumulated in the mid-body.
- Exercise regularly and in a variety of ways.
3. Sleep and stress management
- Sleep 7–9 hours a night.
- Avoid stressors and ensure adequate recovery.
- Use relaxation techniques, such as meditation.
4. Regular monitoring
- Monitor your progress with regular body composition measurements. Read more about the importance of body composition.
Waist-to-hip ratio is an easy and informative measure of fat location and associated risks. However, it is not a substitute for more detailed analysis. The purest body composition measurement gives a deeper picture of the distribution of fat, muscle mass and fluids.
How do you measure your progress?
Measure your waist at your navel and your hips at their widest point in the same way, calculate your WHR (waist ÷ hips) and record the result 1–2 times a month, preferably in the morning. Look at the trend, not a single reading. Supplement your monitoring with a body composition measurement every 4–8 weeks to also see a more accurate amount of visceral fat.
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Frequently asked questions about body composition measurements
Have you used Bodymaja services before but not Oma Puhti? First, transfer your data at app.omabody.fi/login so that your remaining measurement sessions are available in Oma Puhti and you can use them to unlock the door.
To view your previous Bodymaja measurement results in Oma Puhti, you need to transfer them from the old service. Log in at app.omabody.fi/login and transfer your data to Oma Puhti.
Once your data has been transferred, you can view your previous measurement results in Oma Puhti and use the service to unlock the body measurement station door.
Note! The ID and mobile phone number must be the same on the InBody device. If you have entered something other than your ID number in the mobile phone field, the result cannot be found in the system and will not appear in your Oma Puhti report. In this case, we recommend repeating the measurement.
You can find your personal ID number at oma.puhti.fi under “Body measurements”.
The ID used on the measurement device changes between measurements. Use this changing ID code to identify yourself on the device instead of your phone number.
If the device was not connected via Bluetooth and you did not manually add the results, the results will not be delivered to you. You will need to visit the measurement point again.
If the device was not connected via Bluetooth and you did not manually add the results, the results will not be delivered to you. You will need to visit the measurement point again.
If you accidentally used your phone number on the device, your results have been forwarded to customer service for manual processing. These results will be available to you within approximately 2 days.
If you accidentally pressed the “guest measurement” button on the device, your results will not be saved in the system. In this case, you will need to repeat the measurement.
Taking a body composition measurement with Puhti is easy. Start by purchasing a measurement kit from Puhti website. Read the preparation instructions carefully before taking the measurement.
When you arrive at the measurement point, open the door and go to the device. Check the measuring device that the ID and mobile phone number shown on the screen are correct. Do not change the mobile phone number. Clean the devices with cleaning wipes before use.
Remove socks and outerwear. The device automatically subtracts one kilogram from the measurement result.
The measurement process proceeds as follows:
- First measure your blood pressure.
- Then step on the device and follow the instructions it gives.
- Finally, measure the grip strength of your hands.
Step off the device, and the measurement will end automatically. Clean the devices again with cleaning wipes after use. You will receive a text message notification when the results are ready. You can view your results in the MyJournal report.
If the grip strength meter is displaying pounds instead of kilograms, you can switch the unit as follows:
- Turn on the power of the grip strength meter.
- Squeeze the handle with half of your strength while, at the same time, briefly pressing the device’s power button (for about 1-2 seconds).
- This action will change the measurement unit from pounds to kilograms.