Waist Circumference Risk Assessment
Check your waist size against WHO and South Asian limits. Free, private and instant.
How to use the Waist Circumference Risk
- Pick metric (cm, kg) or imperial (ft, in, lb) units.
- Choose sex: Male or Female.
- Choose reference standard: WHO / international or Asian-Pacific (South Asian).
- Enter waist circumference.
- Press Calculate to get an instant result with a colour scale, chart and plain-English explanation.
About the Waist Circumference Risk
Waist size is a direct measure of belly fat. This tool grades your waist as healthy, increased risk or substantially increased risk using WHO cut-offs, or the lower thresholds for South Asian adults.
Also known as: waist size health risk, waist measurement calculator, abdominal obesity calculator, waist circumference chart.
Worked example
- Sex: Male
- Reference standard: WHO / international
- Waist circumference: 88 cm
Waist circumference: 88.0 cm (Low risk). Your waist of 88.0 cm is under the 94.0 cm limit.
- Increased-risk limit: 94.0 cm
- Substantial-risk limit: 102.0 cm
- Your waist: 88.0 cm
- Below the limit by: 6.0 cm
Formula and cut-offs
WHO: men 94 cm (increased) and 102 cm (substantially increased); women 80 cm and 88 cm. South Asian / IDF: men 90 cm, women 80 cm for increased risk.
Frequently asked questions
What waist size is unhealthy?
A waist of 102 cm (40 in) or more for men and 88 cm (35 in) or more for women is linked with substantially higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Do the limits differ by ethnicity?
Yes. South Asian adults develop metabolic risk at lower waist sizes, so lower limits of 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women are recommended.
How can I reduce my waist size?
A steady calorie deficit, regular physical activity and less alcohol and added sugar reduce waist fat over time. Spot exercises such as sit-ups alone do not burn fat from the waist.
Is a waist of 88 cm a health risk for a man?
Waist circumference: 88.0 cm (Low risk). Your waist of 88.0 cm is under the 94.0 cm limit. Enter your own numbers above for a personal result.
Sources and references
- WHO - Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation
- World Health Organization - Obesity and overweight fact sheet
Written and checked by the MediHub editorial team against the sources above. Read how we build and review our calculators.
More health calculators
- Waist-to-Height Ratio Calculator
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator
- Meal Calorie Calculator
- Steps-to-Calories Calculator
- Race Finish-Time Predictor
- Next Ovulation Date Estimator
- More Body measurements calculators
- All health calculators
- Compare medicine prices in 32 countries
Last updated . This calculator is for education only and is not medical advice. See the medical disclaimer.