Waist–hip ratio
The waist-hip ratio or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the dimensionless ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips.
This is calculated as waist measurement divided by hip measurement (W ÷ H). For example, a person with a 30″ () waist and 38″ () hips has a waist-hip ratio of about 0.78.
Waist-to-height ratio
A 2010 study that followed 11,000 subjects for up to eight years concluded that WHtR is a much better measure of the risk of heart attack, stroke or death than the more widely used body mass index. However, a 2011 study that followed 60,000 participants for up to 13 years found that waist–hip ratio (when adjusted for BMI) was a better predictor of ischemic heart disease mortality than WHtR.