Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) looks at the proportion of fat stored on your body around your waist and hip. Most people store their body fat in two ways: around your middle (referred to as the apple shape) and around your hips (referred to as the pear shape).

Research shows people with an apple shape face higher health risks than people carrying extra weight around their hips or thighs. Keep in mind that this is just one assessment that is used in measuring overall health risk. Body Mass Index (BMI) is another important measurement of body fat percentage.