BMI alone misses where body fat is stored. Add your waist (and, if you have them, hip and skinfold measurements) for a fuller cardiometabolic risk picture.
Optional, for a more complete risk picture
Your measurements
Cardiometabolic risk assessment
This is an indicative screening estimate based on published waist-related thresholds, not a diagnosis. It cannot detect insulin resistance, blood pressure or lipid levels, which require clinical tests. Speak to a doctor for a full cardiometabolic assessment.
Why go beyond BMI
Two people can share the same BMI and carry very different amounts of visceral fat, the type stored around the abdominal organs that is most closely linked to cardiometabolic risk. Waist circumference and the ratios built from it help tell those two situations apart in a way that BMI on its own cannot, which is why NHS guidance treats waist measurement as a useful add-on to BMI rather than a replacement for it.
How the risk level is built
- Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) - waist divided by height. A value at or above 0.5 is a widely cited signal of increased cardiometabolic risk, with 0.6 marking a further step up. This is sometimes summarised as keeping your waist below half your height.
- Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) - waist divided by hip, when both are provided. The World Health Organization flags substantially increased risk above 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women.
- Skinfold reading - an optional triceps measurement that adds a rough, indicative read on subcutaneous fat when a caliper is available.
The tool combines whichever of these measurements you provide into a single estimated risk level, rather than listing each ratio on its own.
What this tool cannot tell you
Cardiometabolic risk also depends on blood pressure, blood glucose, lipid profile, family history and activity level, none of which a tape measure can capture. This tool flags a pattern worth discussing with a doctor. It does not replace blood tests or a clinical examination, and it does not adjust for pregnancy, very high muscle mass, or ethnicity-specific waist thresholds used in some clinical guidelines.
This tool is not a medical device and does not provide a diagnosis. If your estimated risk is elevated, or if you have any concern about your cardiometabolic health, consult a doctor or your GP practice. All calculations happen in your browser; nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.