Lier LM, Breuer C, Ferrari N, et al. - In view of the limited clarity on factors determining the effectiveness of childhood obesity interventions, researchers here investigated individual- and program-level predictors of BMI-SDS and fitness to achieve significant, sustainable health improvements. They analyzed data of 249 children with obesity or overweight who participated in an outpatient multidisciplinary program and compared these to 54 waitlist controls. Greater improvements in BMI-SDS and physical fitness were reported for participants who reported being physically active before the program started relative to inactive peers. Findings support the effectiveness of the program under review in counteracting juvenile obesity. Results here give reason to believe that program effectiveness may improve in correlation with forming mixed-gender groups with a small age range and providing increased support for reportedly inactive children.