Body shape calculator: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle
Enter bust (or chest), waist and hips in centimetres in the Body shape calculator above.
| Shape | Typical measurements |
|---|---|
| Hourglass | bust ≈ hips, waist clearly smaller (≤ 75%) |
| Pear (triangle) | hips at least 5% wider than bust |
| Inverted triangle | bust / shoulders at least 5% wider than hips |
| Apple (round) | waist close to bust and hips (≥ 90%) |
| Rectangle | bust, waist and hips fairly even |
Waist-to-hip ratio
WHO uses a waist-to-hip ratio above 0.85 for women or 0.90 for men as a marker of higher health risk.
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How the shapes are worked out
The calculator compares three measurements. If bust and hips are within about 5% of each other and the waist is at least a quarter smaller, the shape is an hourglass. Hips clearly wider than the bust give a pear; bust or shoulders clearly wider than the hips give an inverted triangle. A waist almost as wide as the bust and hips gives an apple, and three similar measurements give a rectangle.
What to do with the result
- Clothing: shape guides which cuts sit well, for example a defined waist for an hourglass or structured shoulders for a pear.
- Health: where fat is stored matters more than the shape name. A waist-to-hip ratio above 0.85 for women or 0.90 for men is linked with higher cardiovascular risk (WHO).
- Tracking: measure at the same time of day, with the same tape, and write the numbers down; shape changes slowly.
Body shape is mostly set by bone structure and genetics. Weight change makes a shape larger or smaller but rarely turns one shape into another.