Waist to Height Sheet

The bands

THE RULE

waist under HALF your height (ratio < 0.5)

0.4 to 0.49

healthy range

0.5 to 0.59

increased risk of health problems

0.6 and above

highest risk

Risks referred to

type 2 diabetes, BP, cholesterol, CVD

Where to measure

halfway between lowest rib and hip top

How to measure

snug, not denting; breathe out naturally

⚠ NICE applies these

to people with a BMI under 35

⚠ Not for pregnancy

and children have DIFFERENT cut-offs

Tracked over time

This measurement

Name

Date

Height

HALF MY HEIGHT

Waist

RATIO

Band

Top of healthy band

cm to healthy band

Measured how

Questions for my clinician

Measuring it properly

• Tape halfway between lowest rib and top of hip — not the narrowest point
• Not where the trousers sit
• Against bare skin or one thin layer
• Snug but not denting the skin
• Breathing out NATURALLY — not holding it in
• Same time of day as any previous measurement
• Monthly rather than daily — daily is mostly noise
• Reading treated as a prompt for a conversation, not a verdict

The measurement is the weak link

The arithmetic is a division. Nearly all the error comes from the tape: measuring at the narrowest point, at the trouser line, over clothes, or with the stomach held in. Any one of those can shift the result by more than the width of a whole band — so technique matters more here than precision in the sum ever will.

A screen, not a diagnosis

This says nothing about blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, fitness or family history — all of which matter more and none of which a tape measure sees. A healthy ratio is not a clean bill of health, and a high one is not a diagnosis. It is a cheap, quick prompt to have a conversation with someone who can measure what actually decides risk.