Body Shape Calculator

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Walk-through

How to Use This Calculator

3 steps

1

Measure waist and hip (and bust, if you can)

Wrap a soft tape measure around your natural waist (the narrowest point, level with your navel) and around the widest point of your hips and buttocks. If you also measure the fullest point of your chest, the calculator can tell Hourglass apart from Rectangle — without it, you'll still get a Pear or Apple result from your waist-to-hip ratio alone.

2

Enter your numbers and pick a unit

Type your waist and hip circumference into the calculator, plus bust if you have it. Switch between metric (cm) and imperial (in) with the unit toggle at any time — your values convert automatically.

3

Read your shape and waist-to-hip ratio

The result updates instantly to show your classified shape (Pear, Apple, Hourglass, or Rectangle) plus your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Switch to the Waist-to-Hip Ratio tab to see the full WHO risk-band table, or the Measurements tab for a summary of every value used.

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Reference

Formula & Methodology

2 formulas

Waist-to-hip ratio

WHR = waist ÷ hip

Both measurements must use the same unit. This ratio drives the WHO 2008 cardiovascular-risk bands shown on the Waist-to-Hip Ratio tab, and (when bust is not entered) it is also used alone to split Pear from Apple.

Shape classification (with bust)

Rectangle if |bust−waist|/waist ≤ 9% and |hip−waist|/waist ≤ 9%; Hourglass if |bust−hip|/hip ≤ 5% and waist is ≥10% narrower than the bust/hip average; Pear if hip exceeds bust by ≥5% and WHR is not in the high band; otherwise Apple.

This percentage-difference method is a common consumer body-shape-typing heuristic — not a clinical formula. It compares how close your bust, waist, and hip circumferences are to each other to decide whether your waist is clearly narrower (Hourglass), your three measurements are close together (Rectangle), your hips lead (Pear), or your midsection carries the most width (Apple).

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YMYL

Trust, Methodology & Sources

Written by Calculover Editorial Team · Updated 2026-07-23 · 2 sources

Editorial accountability

Author: Calculover Editorial Team - Editor

Owner: Calculover Editorial Team - Editorial owner

Last reviewed: 2026-07-23

Last verified: 2026-07-23

Methodology

The Body Shape Calculator computes the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR = waist / hip) and classifies it using the World Health Organization's 2008 waist-circumference and waist-hip-ratio protocol thresholds (the same sex-specific bands published on this site's Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator), so the two tools never disagree. When a bust measurement is provided, the calculator additionally applies a percentage-difference heuristic — comparing how close bust, waist, and hip circumferences are to one another — to classify the result as Pear, Apple, Hourglass, or Rectangle. This shape-typing method is a common consumer convention, not a clinical or peer-reviewed diagnostic formula.

Assumption: Waist, hip, and (if provided) bust are measured accurately on the same person, in the same unit system, following standard measurement points (narrowest waist, widest hip, fullest bust).

Assumption: The user wants an informational shape classification and waist-to-hip ratio, not a diagnosis, body-fat percentage, or treatment plan.

Assumption: Sex is used only to select the correct WHO waist-to-hip ratio risk band, not to alter the shape-classification math itself.

Limitations & guidance

Body-shape typing (Pear/Apple/Hourglass/Rectangle) is a popular heuristic, not a standardized clinical or scientific classification — different sources draw the category boundaries slightly differently.

Without a bust measurement, the calculator cannot distinguish Hourglass from Rectangle and reports only Pear or Apple from the waist-to-hip ratio alone.

The waist-to-hip ratio is associated with cardiovascular risk patterns in population research but does not diagnose any condition, and does not account for age, muscle mass, pregnancy, or other individual factors.

Professional guidance: The Body Shape Calculator is for general information and self-screening only. It is an estimate, not a diagnosis, and it is not medical advice or a substitute for assessment by a qualified healthcare professional. Do not make medical decisions based on its output.

Primary sources

World Health Organization. Waist Circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation. - World Health Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessing Your Weight. - CDC

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Glossary

Key Terms Explained

6 terms

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) Waist circumference divided by hip circumference. A widely used, low-cost proxy for where body fat is distributed, classified by the World Health Organization into Low/Moderate/High/Very High cardiovascular-risk bands, separately for men and women.

Pear shape Hips visibly wider than the bust, with a defined waist — width and weight sit lower on the body. Associated with a lower waist-to-hip ratio.

Apple shape Waist close to, or wider than, the hips, with less visible waist narrowing — width and weight sit around the midsection. Associated with a higher waist-to-hip ratio.

Hourglass shape Bust and hips close to the same width, with a clearly narrower waist between them. Can only be distinguished from Rectangle when a bust measurement is entered.

Rectangle shape Bust, waist, and hip circumferences are all close in size, with little waist narrowing — sometimes called a "straight" or "banana" shape in consumer style guides.

Bust circumference The measurement around the fullest point of the chest. It is optional here, but without it the calculator can only report Pear or Apple (from WHR alone), not Hourglass or Rectangle.

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Scenarios

Real-World Examples

3 worked examples

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Pear example

Waist 71 cm, hip 102 cm, bust 89 cm

Waist 71 cm Hip 102 cm Bust 89 cm

Hip is noticeably wider than bust (a 13 cm gap, well over the 5% threshold) and the waist is clearly narrower than the hip, so this classifies as Pear. WHR = 71 ÷ 102 = 0.70 — Low risk band for a female profile.

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Apple example

Waist 90 cm, hip 92 cm, bust 100 cm

Waist 90 cm Hip 92 cm Bust 100 cm

Bust (100 cm) is well past the Rectangle and Hourglass thresholds against both waist and hip, and it's larger than the hip rather than the other way around, so this classifies as Apple. WHR = 90 ÷ 92 = 0.98 — Very High risk band, consistent with an Apple result where the waist shows little narrowing relative to the hip.

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Hourglass example

Waist 66 cm, hip 97 cm, bust 96 cm

Waist 66 cm Hip 97 cm Bust 96 cm

Bust (96 cm) and hip (97 cm) are within 5% of each other, and the waist is roughly 32% narrower than their average — well past the 10% narrowing threshold — so this classifies as Hourglass. Without the bust measurement, the same waist and hip alone would only be reported as Pear (WHR = 0.68).

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Deep Dive

Understanding your body shape classification

3 chapters · 4 min read

Body-shape typing — Pear, Apple, Hourglass, Rectangle — is a popular, easy way to describe how your waist, hip, and bust measurements relate to one another. It's used everywhere from clothing-fit guides to general wellness content. This calculator applies a transparent, percentage-based rule to those three measurements, and separately reports your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), a distinct and more widely studied measurement used in cardiovascular-risk research.

How the classification works

The calculator always computes your waist-to-hip ratio (WHR = waist ÷ hip). If you only enter waist and hip, that ratio alone splits your result into Pear (lower WHR) or Apple (higher WHR), using the same WHO 2008 sex-specific thresholds documented on this site's Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator.

Add a bust measurement and the calculator can also detect Hourglass (bust and hip close in size, waist clearly narrower than both) and Rectangle (bust, waist, and hip all close in size, with little waist definition). These extra categories compare percentage differences between your three measurements rather than absolute numbers, so the same rule works whether you're 150 cm or 190 cm tall.

Inputs and what they mean

Waist — measured around the narrowest point of your torso, level with your navel, without pulling the tape tight. Hip — measured around the widest point of your hips and buttocks. Bust (optional) — measured around the fullest point of your chest. All three should use the same unit (the toggle converts cm ⟷ in automatically). Sex only affects which WHR risk bands are applied on the Waist-to-Hip Ratio tab; the shape classification math itself is the same for everyone.

Limits and edge cases

This is a consumer self-screen tool, not a clinical or diagnostic instrument. Body-shape typing is a popular heuristic, not a standardized medical classification — different sources draw the Hourglass/Rectangle/Pear/Apple boundaries slightly differently, so treat your result as a general description, not a precise verdict. The waist-to-hip ratio itself is better studied and is associated with cardiovascular risk in population research, but it does not diagnose any condition on its own. If you're relying on measurements for a health decision, verify them with a clinician; for a clothing decision, remeasure carefully and check the specific retailer's size chart.

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Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

6 questions

Pear vs apple — what's the actual difference?+

Pear means your hips are visibly wider than your bust, with weight and width concentrated lower on the body. Apple means your waist is close to (or wider than) your hips, with weight and width concentrated around your midsection. The calculator distinguishes them using your waist-to-hip ratio, following the same WHO 2008 thresholds used by this site's dedicated Waist-to-Hip Ratio Calculator.

Why does body shape matter?+

Body-shape typing is mostly used informally — for clothing fit and general wellness content. Its closest scientific cousin, the waist-to-hip ratio, is studied as one indicator (among many) of fat distribution patterns linked to cardiovascular risk in population research. Neither measurement diagnoses a condition on its own.

Do I need to enter my bust measurement?+

No — bust is optional. Without it, the calculator can still classify you as Pear or Apple using your waist-to-hip ratio alone. Adding your bust measurement unlocks the Hourglass and Rectangle categories, which need all three measurements to detect how close your bust and hip are and how much your waist narrows between them.

Is this classification accurate for everyone?+

It's a general-purpose classification based on measurement ratios, not a personalized or clinical assessment. Different body-shape guides use slightly different cutoffs, and this tool's boundaries are a defensible middle ground, not a universal standard. Use it as a starting point, not a final word.

What units does the calculator use?+

Waist, hip, and bust can be entered in centimetres or inches — toggle between metric and imperial at any time and your entered values convert automatically. The waist-to-hip ratio itself is unitless (it's a ratio), so the unit you pick doesn't change your WHR or shape result.

Is this medical advice?+

No. This calculator is for general information and self-screening only. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace an assessment by a qualified healthcare professional. If you have concerns about your health, body composition, or cardiovascular risk, talk to a clinician.

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