Table of Contents
Are you a PEAR or an APPLE and what does this mean for your health and fitness?
This test will provide you with insight into your general health by determining your waist to hip ratio, this is achieved by taking the measurement of your waist and dividing it by the measurement of your hips. This test is applicable to both men and women, the results from the test are a good indicator of general health and highlight those that are likely to be less healthy and suffer from potential medical conditions.
Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator
How to find your waist to hip ratio
The testing procedure is actually very simple, it involves taking two measurements, one from your waist and one from your hips. You can take it yourself using a tape measure, or if you have a someone who could measure for you that would be preferred for accurate measurements.
Required Resources
Tape measure
Testing Procedure
- You should stand erect, abdominal & buttocks relaxed, arms at the side and feet together.
- Measure your waist at it’s narrowest point and then measure the hips at the widest point.
- Waist circumference is measured midway between the lower rib margin and the iliac crest in the horizontal plane.
- The hip circumference is measured at the point yielding the maximum circumference over the buttocks.
- Now divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement.
waist measurement divided by hip measurement (W ÷ H)
WHR Formula
What does your WHR result mean?
Use the table below to identify your range
| Low Risk | Moderately Low Risk | Moderate Risk | Moderately High Risk | High Risk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | <0.85 | 0.85-0.90 | 0.91-0.95 | 0.96-1.00 | >1.00 |
| Female | <0.75 | 0.75-0.80 | 0.81-0.85 | 0.86-0.90 | >0.90 |
Those that carry excess weight around our buttocks and thighs are PEAR shaped.
Those that carry excess weight around their abdomen are APPLE shape.
In both cases, any excess weight will put you at an increased risk of disease and heart conditions and those that are APPLE shaped would be advised to change their shape. This will lead to improved health and life expectancy.
