Journal profile · Multiple
Body Image
ISSN 1740-1445 · eISSN 1873-6807 · Elsevier
Body Image: CAS Zone 1 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,250; median 162 days to acceptance (107 articles, last 24 months); 145 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Body Image is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Eating Disorders and Behaviors, Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies and Obesity and Health Practices, together about 57.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Body Image is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality, scientific articles on body image and human physical appearance. Body image represents a person's "inside view" of their body-that is, their feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs about their body that impact how they behave toward it (Cash, 2004). While physical appearance is an important aspect of body image, it is not the only aspect, as embodiment (how a person uses their body to engage with the world) and focusing on (and appreciating) body functionality are additional aspects of body image. We invite contributions from a broad range of disciplines - psychological science, other social and behavioral sciences, and medical and health sciences. We have a weight-inclusive focus rather than a weight-normative or weight-centric focus (see here for an explanation).Body Image publishes a variety of article types, including original research articles, brief research reports, theoretical and review papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses), scale development and adaptation articles, replication studies, protocol articles, methodological innovations that could be used to advance body image research, unexpected/null results articles, and ideas worth researching. We encourage articles that center minoritized populations. Consistent with the Open Science initiative, we publish articles based on a strong theoretical rationale and scientific design rather than whether findings are statistically significant.We also encourage review-based and empirical-based special issues, especially those that bridge subfields and disciplines.Suitable topics for submission of manuscripts include (but are not limited to):The effects of body image and physical characteristics (e.g., body size, attractiveness, physical disfigurements or disorders) on psychological functioning, interpersonal processes, and quality of life;Body image and physical appearance in the full range of medical and allied health contexts;Body image in diverse cultural contexts;Development, validation, and adaptation (e.g., translation) of assessments of the body image construct;Factors that influence positive and negative body image development;Stigmatization and discrimination based on appearance and/or body function;Adaptive and maladaptive body image processes and their clinically relevant consequences on psychosocial functioning and quality of life;Relationship of body image to behavioral variables (e.g., exercise and other physical activity, eating and weight-control behaviors, grooming and appearance-modifying behaviors, and social behaviors);How body image may shape the ways we engage our bodies with the world (i.e., embodiment);Scientific evaluation of interventions to promote positive body image or to prevent or treat body image difficulties and disorders.Impartiality statement regarding citations. We, the editorial team, strongly encourage authors to cite the highest quality work believed to be most relevant to their article; we are impartial to the use of citations from Body Image versus other journals. We review and accept articles based on their scientific rationale, merits, design, analysis, and interpretation rather than the source of their citations.Note regarding string citations. We encourage authors to avoid excessive string citations, whereby multiple citations support a single statement, finding, or proposition, when such citations would be superfluous. In many cases, one citation will suffice, and this citation should be the best supporting reference for that statement, finding, or proposition. All important previous work can be included, and if a cite is important, there often will be additional text that accompanies it. Please note that we are okay with the overall number of references.Of note, the recommendation to avoid string citations does not apply to:Statements that include more than one finding. For example, "Over the past 10 years, researchers in a number of co
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Editor-in-chief Tracy TylkaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 62, United Kingdom 30, Australia 28, Canada 14, Mainland China 4 (151 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Eating Disorders and BehaviorsPsychology32%
- Body Image and Dysmorphia StudiesPsychology14.3%
- Obesity and Health PracticesHealth Professions11.4%
- Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and IdentificationBusiness, Management and Accounting5.5%
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPsychology5.5%
- Behavioral Health and InterventionsPsychology3.2%
- Obesity, Physical Activity, DietMedicine3.1%
- Media Influence and HealthArts and Humanities3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Clinical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychology, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.11LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 151OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,498OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.98OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 23.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 49.14%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 136LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,275 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 141 | 92 | 79 |
| 2025 | 145 | 96 | 486 |
| 2024 | 139 | 95 | 1,552 |
| 2023 | 148 | 84 | 3,032 |
| 2022 | 168 | 88 | 4,874 |
| 2021 | 137 | 64 | 4,383 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
162 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 122 days – 226 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 7 days (107 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 169 days
- Sample
- 107 articles with submission and acceptance dates (357 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 67 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 170 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,250 / EUR 3,980 / GBP 3,400 / JPY 527,130 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,470 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted1, with length limits
- short communicationthe study of body image) Guidelines for short communications are <= 3000 words from Introduction through Discussion and <= 30 references.main text ≤ 3,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 1740-1445
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6807
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Body Image
What CAS zone is Body Image in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Body Image is in Zone 1 of Psychology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Psychiatry / Psychology, Clinical / Psychology, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Body Image?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6; CiteScore 10.3, h-index 151.
How long does peer review take at Body Image?
Based on the dates recorded on 107 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 162 days (interquartile range 122–226 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Body Image?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: APA; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Body Image based?
Of the 151 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (62), United Kingdom (30) and Australia (28). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Body Image?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Body Image is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Body Image open access, and what is the APC?
Body Image is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,250.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .