This body type calculator tells you which are your body shape and waist to hip ratio by using the bust, waist and hip measures. You can discover more on this subject below the form.
How does this body type calculator work?
This body type tool determines the type of your body and the waist to hip ratio. It is based on three basic measurements of your body that should be provided: bust, waist and hip (BWH). These body measurements can be entered either in inches in the English Tab or in cm in the Metric Tab. The personalized result will contain a definition of your body type, the value of your waist-hip ratio & a body type indicator for health risks.
Example calculation
- Using the English tab, in case of a female, bust- 45in, waist- 35in and hip 46. According to your measurements your body shape is: Hourglass; Your waist-hip ratio is 0.76; This ratio suggests a low health risk.
- Using the Metric tab, in case of a female, bust- 91cm, waist- 72cm and hip 104cm. According to your measurements your body shape is: Pear; Your waist-hip ratio is 0.69; This ratio suggests a low health risk.
Take your measurements:
The widely used method for defining body dimensions is through the three numbers that express the circumference of the body around three inflection points: bust, waist and hips. You can take your measurements by yourself using just a simple tape measure while maintaining a straight position.
The bust measurement is the circumference of the bust at the fullest part of the breasts while keeping the tape measure snug but not tight.
The waist measurement is the circumference of the narrowest point of the torso, which is often just above the belly button.
The hip measurement is the circumference of the largest part of the hips, with the most prominent curve.
Once you know your dimensions you can quickly use the body type calculator and find out whether you have an apple shaped body, a pear body, a banana or an hourglass type. This can help you know how to dress for your body shape or show you which is the health risk level associated with your dimensions.
| Shape | Waist | Bust | Hip | Body fat deposits in |
| Banana | waist not very defined | bust and hip around same size | face, chest, abdomen and buttocks | |
| Apple | not defined | broad shoulders and bust | narrower hips, slim thighs | face, chest and abdomen |
| Pear | tiny waist | bust smaller than hip | shapely bottom, thick thighs | buttocks, hips and thighs |
| Hourglass | highly defined upper abdomen slim | bust proportionate with hip | chest, hips and buttocks | |
The waist-hip ratio
The measurements above not only play an aesthetic role but they also prove to be a good indicator of some health risks. The waist-hip ratio is a body shape indicator considered to be efficient in predicting the risk of heart disease and has great correlation with fertility in women as well. It is designed to accommodate both genders and different measurement units. WHR is calculated by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement and it shows the body tendency of storing fat on the torso (WHR >1) or on the hips and buttocks (WHR <1).
References
1) Saukko P, Knight B. (2014) Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th Ed. Edward Arnold Ltd
2) Viren S. (2006) The Influence of Body Weight and Shape in Determining Female and Male Physical Attractiveness in Marlene V. Kindes (2006, editor), Body Image: New Research. Nova Publishers, New York.
07 Dec, 2014