Army Body Fat Calculator — replaced by the WHtR standard (AD 2026-13)

How it works

If you came here for the tape test, it no longer has a role. Army Directive 2026-13 states that "WHtR is adopted as the sole measurement for all Soldiers" and that "the use of height and weight screening tables is discontinued" — that sentence is what removes the tape test, by leaving one authorised measurement and making it the only one. The directive then closes the obvious escape route separately: no secondary or supplemental body composition method, explicitly including the circumference tape test and other body fat assessments, is authorised "for the purpose of challenging the results of the WHtR". So you cannot ask for a tape test as a second opinion either. There is no longer an Army body fat percentage to calculate.

What replaced it is arithmetic you can do with a tape measure and no table: divide your waist measurement by your height, in whatever units you like, as long as both are the same. The standard is below 0.55. The directive is explicit that the boundary is exclusive — the wording is "less than and not equal to 0.55", and a soldier "with a WHtR of 0.55 or greater will be flagged and enrolled in the ABCP". So 0.55 exactly does not pass.

Two practical points from the directive: soldiers are measured at least twice a calendar year, and results are recorded on DA Form 5500 and in ATIS (DA Form 5501 is rescinded). The directive sets the threshold but leaves the measuring procedure to implementing guidance from G-1, so this page deliberately does not tell you where to place the tape — your unit's guidance governs that.

Worked example

A soldier with an 88 cm waist and a height of 178 cm has a ratio of 88 ÷ 178 = 0.49 — below 0.55, so the standard is met.

The more useful number is the limit. At 178 cm, the largest waist that meets the standard is 178 × 0.55 = 97.9 cm (about 38.5 inches). A soldier at 105 cm is over that by about 7 cm, and at 0.59 would be enrolled in the ABCP.

Because the units cancel, the same soldier measured in inches gets the same answer: 34.6 ÷ 70.1 = 0.49.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Army really get rid of the body fat test?

Yes. Army Directive 2026-13, signed by the Secretary of the Army on 1 July 2026, adopted waist-to-height ratio as the sole authorised ABCP standard and discontinued the height and weight screening tables. It also states that the circumference-based tape test and other body fat assessments are not authorised as secondary or supplemental methods. Most calculators online still implement the old AR 600-9 tape method; they are out of date.

Is AR 600-9 still in force?

Yes, as the underlying program regulation — enrolment, counselling and administrative actions still proceed under it, and Flag code K still applies. But where the directive conflicts with the regulation, the directive controls, and G-1 has two years to fold the new standard into AR 600-9 itself. The directive is rescinded once the revised regulations publish.

What happens if I don't meet the standard?

The directive says a soldier at 0.55 or greater is flagged and enrolled in the ABCP. For Regular Army and AGR soldiers the commander requests a medical examination to check whether an underlying medical condition is the cause; Guard and Reserve soldiers may request one. Monthly assessments and progression requirements were rescinded — commanders decide when to reassess and remove a soldier from the program as soon as the standard is met. Separation actions may be initiated, but the directive states no soldier will be separated until HQDA completes a 180-day assessment.

Can a good fitness test score exempt me?

No. The directive states plainly that no Army Fitness Test score exempts a soldier from meeting the WHtR standard, and rescinds the earlier directive that allowed it. It does require at least seven days between the AFT or Combat Field Test and a WHtR measurement, so the ratio is not measured immediately after hard physical exertion.

How does the Army standard compare to health guidance?

The 0.55 line sits inside NICE's increased-central-adiposity band, which runs from 0.50 to 0.59, and below its high-risk line of 0.60. So the Army standard is stricter than "not high risk" but more permissive than NICE's healthy range of 0.40 to 0.49. The two frameworks point the same direction; they draw the line at different points because they are answering different questions.

Is this the official measurement?

No. This is an unofficial estimate from numbers you enter. The measurement that counts is the one your unit takes and records on DA Form 5500 and in ATIS, taken under the procedure in the Army's implementing guidance. If your unofficial result is near the line, expect the official one to differ slightly — tape measurements vary between people taking them, which is why the directive requires a confirmation measurement by a different team on the same duty day before any commander action.

Does this apply to me if I'm not in the Army?

The 0.55 standard is an Army administrative threshold, not general health advice, and it applies to Regular Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers, plus USMA and ROTC cadets. If you are a civilian interested in waist-to-height ratio for health, the waist-to-height calculator uses the NICE bands, which is the right frame for that question.