WHR
Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR)
The waist-hip ratio compares waist circumference with hip circumference and describes whether fat is stored centrally around the abdomen or lower on the hips and thighs.
Short answer
WHR describes body shape, not the amount of fat. On InBody it is moreover built from estimated circumferences, so treat it as orientation and add your own tape measurement.
What the value represents
It is a simple ratio of two circumferences. A higher number means the waist is larger relative to the hips.
The manual describes where the circumferences are taken: the waist horizontally at navel level, the hips horizontally at the widest point.
On InBody 970 both circumferences are estimated from body composition unless the optional Yscope module is attached. They are therefore not tape-measured values.
The ratio describes shape, not amount. A lean person with narrow hips can have a high ratio without carrying much fat — the manual gives this as an explicit limitation of the value.
- The ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference, dimensionless.
- An indicator of how fat is distributed between the trunk and the hips.
- It does not represent the amount of fat or its overall percentage.
How the value is produced
- A calculated value: waist circumference ÷ hip circumference.
- On InBody 970 both input circumferences are estimated from body composition. With the Yscope module attached, waist circumference is genuinely measured rather than estimated.
- On the result sheet the value is compared against a reference range that differs by sex; the manual examples show ranges of 0.80 to 0.90 and 0.75 to 0.85.
How to read the current value
- The manual gives the threshold for abdominal obesity as 0.90 or above in men and 0.85 or above in women.
- The threshold is a population indicator of fat distribution, not a diagnosis and not an assessment of an individual health.
- The manual itself warns that the ratio cannot be an absolute measure: a high value can also arise from a small hip circumference in a lean person.
- Because both circumferences are estimated without Yscope, treat accuracy to the decimal with caution and add your own tape measurement.
How to read change over time
- The ratio can move from two sides. It falls when the waist shrinks, but also when the hips grow — through added gluteal muscle, for instance.
- Always look up both circumferences alongside the ratio. Without them you do not know which one changed.
- Short-term swings fall to variation in the body composition estimate the circumferences are calculated from.
General principles: how to read change between measurements →
What to read it with
- Waist circumference and the waist-height ratio – a more specific view of central fat.
- Visceral Fat Area and Level – the manual uses the combination with the waist-hip ratio to tell whether abdominal fat is predominantly visceral or subcutaneous.
- Percent Body Fat – the total amount of fat the ratio does not contain.
- Body circumferences – the values the ratio is built from.
Common misunderstandings
- A low ratio does not mean little fat. It describes only its distribution.
- A high ratio does not automatically mean excess fat; it can also arise from narrow hips.
- The circumferences on the result sheet are not tape-measured unless the Yscope module is attached.
- The ratio does not diagnose metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular disease.
What can affect the result short term
- Everything that shifts the body composition estimate: food, drink, hydration, time of day, training.
- Bloating and bowel contents, because they affect the actual abdominal circumference.
- The menstrual cycle, during which fluid retention fluctuates.
- The presence of the Yscope module, which turns the waist circumference estimate into a measurement.
What to do next
- Measure your waist and hips with a tape as the manual describes: waist at navel level, hips at the widest point, always horizontally.
- Follow the ratio alongside the absolute circumferences, not on its own.
- If central fat interests you more specifically, prefer waist circumference and the waist-height ratio.
What the value does not determine
- It does not diagnose any condition.
- It does not say how much fat a person has.
- The input circumferences are an estimate rather than a measurement without the Yscope module.
- The value also changes with a change in hip circumference, which has nothing to do with abdominal fat.
On terminology
- Abdominal obesity in the manual is a description of fat distribution against a threshold value, not a medical diagnosis.
In more depth, with sourcesIn more depth: what the ratio captures and why waist circumference is used more often in practiceExpand the detailed explanation
A ratio of two circumferences changes when either one changes, and that is also its main weakness. An increase in hip circumference with an unchanged waist lowers the ratio, even though nothing happened in the abdominal region. The WHO expert report therefore treats waist circumference and the waist-hip ratio as two indicators of fat distribution that behave differently and cannot be substituted for one another.
On InBody 970 the situation is a step more complicated: without the Yscope module the circumferences are not measured but estimated from body composition. The manual states that with Yscope a genuinely measured value is shown for the waist, and the catalogue reports a coefficient of determination R² of 0.982 against tape measurement. Without Yscope the ratio therefore rests on an estimate of an estimate, and its absolute value deserves caution.
Practical recommendations today more often feature waist circumference on its own. The UK NICE guidance recommends adding precisely waist circumference to BMI as a measure of fat distribution in adults with a BMI below 35. The waist-hip ratio remains useful where body shape is the question, but for following central fat over time it is simpler and more stable to work with waist circumference and its ratio to height.
Sources
- InBody 970 Result Sheet Interpretation (ENG_A_211104) — InBody Co., Ltd.
- Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation — World Health Organization
- Obesity: identification, assessment and management (CG189) — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
On this page
Related values
Commonly confused with
Related articles
Where to find it
The Visceral Fat Analysis, circumferences and basal metabolic rate.
- Reviewed by
- MojeInBody content team
- Date
An InBody measurement is not a diagnostic tool. Results do not determine health status and do not replace a medical examination.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what people ask most often about this value.
My ratio is high but I am lean. What should I make of that?
The manual warns about exactly this situation: a high ratio can also arise from a small hip circumference rather than a large waist. Look at the absolute circumferences, at percent body fat and at Visceral Fat Area — only together do they make sense.
Will a tape measure give me the same values as the device?
Not necessarily. Without the Yscope module the device estimates the circumferences from body composition. Your own tape measurement is a separate series of numbers — keep it separately and do not mix the two into one chart.
Which matters more: the waist-hip ratio or Visceral Fat Area?
They describe different things. The ratio speaks to body shape, Visceral Fat Area to fat inside the abdominal cavity. The manual uses them together precisely because they complement each other — a high ratio with a low visceral fat level points, in its reading, to a predominance of subcutaneous abdominal fat.
Explanations make the most sense alongside your own trend.
The public guide is open to everyone. The client portal adds your own value, history and the context of a specific measurement.