(MCT) — LOS ANGELES — As President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney make a last-minute push for votes, first lady Michelle Obama can already chalk up a small victory for her campaign to fight childhood obesity.

In a semi-scientific study conducted on the front porch of a Yale University economist on Halloween night, kids who viewed a picture of the first lady and were then offered a choice of fruit or candy were much more likely to select the healthful snack than their counterparts who were shown a photo of Ann Romney.