Instructions for Authors
Article types and their limits, the structure the journal expects, what reporting obesity research requires here, reference and figure formats, and the checklist a complete submission must meet.
ISSN 2574-450X References first 3 authors, then et al. License CC BY 4.0
Article types and limits
The formats the journal accepts, with the limits that apply to each.
| Article type | Words (main text) | Abstract | References | Figures and tables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research article | 3,500 to 6,000 | Structured, 300 words | 50 | Up to 6 combined |
| Review article | 4,000 to 7,000 | Unstructured, 300 words | 100 | Up to 6 combined |
| Systematic review or meta-analysis | 4,000 to 7,000 | Structured, 350 words | No limit | Up to 8 combined |
| Short communication | up to 2,000 | Unstructured, 200 words | 20 | Up to 2 combined |
| Case report | up to 2,500 | Unstructured, 200 words | 25 | Up to 4 combined |
| Perspective or commentary | 1,000 to 2,500 | Unstructured, 150 words | 30 | Up to 2 combined |
| Editorial | up to 1,500 | None | 15 | Up to 1 |
| Letter to the editor | up to 800 | None | 10 | Up to 1 |
Word counts exclude the abstract, references, tables and figure legends. Where a manuscript needs to exceed a limit for a good reason, write to the editorial office before submitting rather than after.
Five keywords are required for every article type that carries an abstract. Use terms a reader searching the field would use.
Manuscript structure
The order the journal expects, and what each part must carry.
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Title page
Separate from the manuscript
- Title, all authors with affiliations and ORCID iDs, corresponding author contact details, word count, and every declaration listed further down this page.
- Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. The title page is supplied separately, and the reviewer manuscript must also be anonymized when double-blind review is requested. For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
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Abstract
Structured for empirical work
Research articles and systematic reviews use Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions. The abstract summarizes the question, design, findings and principal limitations. Quantitative studies report the relevant numerical results; qualitative and model-based work use summaries appropriate to their design. An abstract that promises results the paper does not report is the most common reason a manuscript is returned before review.
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Introduction
What is not yet known
State the question and why it is open. A review of the whole field is not required; the specific gap is.
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Methods
Enough for the study to be repeated
Describe methods appropriate to the research design, including relevant setting, sampling, measurements, interventions or exposures, analysis and limitations. Quantitative studies report sample-size justification, precision or power as appropriate; qualitative studies describe sampling and analysis; modeling studies state assumptions and evaluation methods. Report comparator, follow-up and missing-data methods where applicable.
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Results
What was found, including what was not
Report findings corresponding to the methods and questions stated. Quantitative studies report effect sizes and precision where applicable, including null findings. Report participant flow and attrition when relevant. Qualitative and model-based results should explain the analysis, interpretation and uncertainty appropriate to their design.
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Discussion
What the result supports, and what it does not
Interpret the finding against the existing evidence, state the limitations concretely, and draw a conclusion the design supports. Speculation is permitted where it is labeled as such.
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Back matter
Declarations and references
Author contributions, acknowledgments, funding, competing interests, ethics and consent statements, data availability, AI-use disclosure, then references.
Reporting obesity research
What this journal asks for that a general journal may not. These are the points on which manuscripts in this field most often need revision.
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Where outcome measures are reported
Distinguish the measures
- Weight, body mass index, body composition, waist and other regional measures, metabolic outcomes and clinical outcomes are different things and are reported as such. State which was the primary outcome and how it was measured.
- Report the measurement method and the instrument, the follow-up interval, and the number of participants retained at each point.
- A change in weight is not by itself a change in health. Do not present one as the other.
- State the obesity definitions and classification criteria relevant to the population or model, and use them consistently.
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Clinical studies
Population through to follow-up
- Population and setting, diagnostic and classification criteria, the intervention, the comparator, duration, primary and secondary outcomes, adverse events, and the length and completeness of follow-up.
- Report harms with the same care as benefits.
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Nutrition and dietary intervention
Exposure, adherence and confounding
- Describe the dietary intervention in enough detail to reproduce it, including energy and macronutrient targets where they apply.
- Report how adherence was measured and what it was, and report energy intake where it bears on the interpretation.
- State the comparator, the duration, and how confounding by other behavior change was addressed.
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Physical activity and exercise
Prescription and adherence
- Report the modality, intensity, frequency, duration and progression of the prescription, how it was supervised, and adherence to it. Where body composition is an outcome, report the method used to measure it.
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Behavioral and psychological intervention
Model, delivery and measurement
- State the behavior-change model or technique taxonomy used, who delivered the intervention and with what training, the delivery mode and dose, and how outcomes were defined and measured. Report follow-up beyond the end of the intervention where it exists.
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Pharmacotherapy
Dose, safety and interests
- Report the agent, dose and titration, duration, comparator, and discontinuation including the reasons for it.
- Report adverse events in full, including those that led to withdrawal.
- Report weight change after discontinuation where the study followed participants that far.
- Declare any interest in the agent, its manufacturer or a competitor, and the funding source.
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Bariatric, metabolic and endoscopic procedures
Selection, completeness and complications
- Report the procedure and any variant, the selection criteria, the number approached and treated, complications by severity, reoperation and revision, and the completeness of follow-up at each time point.
- Report outcomes in a form that allows comparison with other series — percentage total weight loss as well as any other measure used.
Reporting guidelines
Use the one that matches the design. A checklist for a design the study does not have helps nobody.
| Design | Standard |
|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | CONSORT |
| Observational study — cohort, case-control, cross-sectional | STROBE |
| Systematic review or meta-analysis | PRISMA |
| Case report | CARE |
| Diagnostic or prognostic accuracy study | STARD |
| Animal research | ARRIVE |
| Study protocol for a trial | SPIRIT |
| Qualitative research | COREQ or SRQR |
Submit the completed checklist with the manuscript, indicating the page on which each item appears.
References, figures and data
Formats and the house rules.
- Reference style
- Numbered in order of first citation in the text, in square brackets, with a numbered reference list in the same order. List the first three authors then et al.
- Journal article — Aljabri KS, Bokhari SA, Kumar R. Title of the article. Journal Name. 2019;1(2):34–43. doi:10.0000/example
- Book — Author AB. Title of Book. 3rd ed. Publisher; 2020. p. 45–60.
- Chapter — Author AB. Title of chapter. In: Editor CD, ed. Title of Book. Publisher; 2020:45–60.
- Web page — Organization. Title of page. Published 2024. Accessed March 1, 2026. https://example.org/page
- Dataset — Author AB. Title of dataset. Repository; 2024. doi:10.0000/dataset
- Preprint — Author AB. Title. Preprint. medRxiv. 2025. doi:10.0000/preprint
- Trial registration — cite the registry, the registration number and the registration date.
- Figures
- Submitted as separate files. Line art at 600 dpi or vector, photographs and halftones at 300 dpi, at final printed width. Each figure carries a legend that makes it readable without the text.
- Any adjustment applied to an image must be applied to the whole image and disclosed. Identifiable participants require written consent for publication.
- Do not encode meaning in color alone; a reader who cannot distinguish the colors must still be able to read the figure.
- Tables
- Editable text, not images. One table per file or all tables at the end of the manuscript, each with a caption and defined units.
- Supplementary material
- Submitted with the manuscript and cited in the text. Supplementary files are published as supplied and are not copyedited or typeset.
- Data availability
- Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. Where data cannot be shared, say so and state why — consent, privacy or an applicable restriction — rather than omitting the statement.
- Preprints
- Posting a preprint to a recognized server does not affect consideration. Disclose the preprint and its DOI in the cover letter, and link it in the published article.
How to submit
Three routes are open. Use the one that suits the manuscript.
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Primary route
ManuscriptZone
The publisher’s submission portal. Open ManuscriptZone
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Alternative route
Simple manuscript submission form
A short form, preselected for this journal. Open the submission form
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Assisted route
The editorial office
Write to [email protected] and the editorial office will help you complete a submission.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
What each route needs, and what happens after a manuscript arrives, is on the submit a manuscript page.
Submission checklist
Apply the following items as appropriate to the manuscript type and study design. Editorials and letters require no abstract. Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement.
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Before you submit
- The manuscript is within the word, abstract, reference and figure limits for its article type.
- The title page is a separate file carrying authors, affiliations, ORCID iDs and every declaration.
- Where an abstract is required, it follows the format for the article type and describes the work accurately; numerical outcomes are reported when applicable.
- Where applicable, outcome measures are distinguished and the measurement method, follow-up interval and retention are reported.
- The reporting checklist for the study design is completed and attached.
- Ethics approval, consent, and trial registration where applicable are stated with their identifying numbers.
- Funding and competing interests are declared in full, including any commercial interest in the field.
- An empirical research manuscript includes a data-availability statement.
- Any use of a generative AI tool is disclosed, naming the tool and its use.
- References follow the house style, listing the first three authors then et al.
- Figures are at the required resolution and tables are editable text.
- One submission route only has been used.
Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
Journal of Obesity Management (JOM) · ISSN 2574-450X · Crossref DOI prefix 10.14302 · published open access by Open Access Pub under CC BY 4.0, authors retain copyright · submit a manuscript · editorial policies · article processing charges.