The aim of this literature review is to integrate the results of various studies regarding body image and body image distortion into a unified framework. The concept of body image is complex and can be interpreted from multiple points of view. The first part of the study touches upon different age characteristics, attentional focus on the body, the early and important role of the body in identity formation, specific features in adolescence, gender differences, and the often-observed stability of body image (distortion), which may be present as a (trait) marker throughout the lifespan. The second part focuses on the organization of body image. The results of different studies on cognitive information processing are reviewed, the question of perceptual accuracy is addressed and the concepts of embodiment are examined. The third topic is body image distortion. First, the concept is contextualized along different continua, then discussed in a clinical sense along with the complexity of diagnostic methods, as well as the state and trait aspects of body image distortion. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(19): 723-730.