According to a study published by JAMA – a journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, obesity rates in children, aged 2 to 5, have decreased significantly over the past decade. The researchers found a 43% decline in obesity rates for children in this group, down from 13.9% to 8.4%. According to the study, which used data from 2003-2004 to 2011-2012, children in other age groups did not witness a decline in their obesity rates. The findings were revealed on the same day as the first lady Michelle Obama proposed new rules to reduce the types of foods and beverages that can be advertised in schools, and marked the fourth anniversary of her Let’s Move! initiative to fight child obesity.

The new federal regulations suggest that companies will no longer be allowed to market “logo design” of high-calorie products such as sodas on cups, vending machines or posters.

The new JAMA study said that close to 17% children aged 2 to 19 were obese in 2011-2012, the number remained almost constant since 2003-2004, as it showed a drop of only 0.2%. More than a third of adults, aged 20 and above, were obese at the start of the study and that number did not change over the course of the study.

Four years ago this month, Mrs. Obama announced that she was taking on childhood obesity with a new initiative, called Let’s Move! The comprehensive program was part parental education and part government reform — with a bit of celebrity encouragement thrown in.

“About one-third of our children are overweight or obese. None of us want that for our country,” Obama said at the time, “It’s time to get moving.”

An elementary physical education teacher from Chicago, Steven Hanus, says that over the past five years, he’s noticed a change in his students and their parents. He says the kids are in better shape and parents are now asking more questions of him about how to keep their kids moving at home. He has also found strong support from administrators in his quest to get students interested in fitness.