waist-to-hip ratio


waist-to-hip ratio

Nutrition The circumference of the waist, divided by that of the hips, which is a measure of the obesity. See Obesity.

waist-to-hip ratio

The measured circumference of the waist divided by the measured circumference of the hip. It has been used as one of several means of estimating abdominal body fat. Other anthropometrics that are similarly used are the “waist circumference, ” the “waist-to-height ratio, ” and the “body mass index.” Although each of these measurements, if abnormal, has been statistically linked to increased risks for cardiovascular disease, they vary in their specificity and usefulness in people of differing ages and ethnicities.