ORLANDO – First lady Michelle Obama craves normalcy sometimes. The woman who has seemingly endless options living at the White House loves it most when she can hang out and just be “Meesh” to her family and friends.

Obama, who realizes her life will get even busier leading up to the Nov. 6 election, said she tries to get away from the “bubble” created by security and media at the White House and be as much of a regular person as she can.

“I go shopping. I go to my friends’ houses for dinner,” she said in an interview with a few reporters.

“Barack and I try as much as possible to get the girls out of the White House,” she said about her daughters Malia and Sasha. “That is important to us. There’s a freedom of getting them into some normalcy. When they’re outside of the bubble -– even if it’s going for a walk or going skiing or going for a bike ride — it just reminds them that their life is normal.”

A fond memory is taking the girls and traveling to Oregon not too long ago to see her brother Craig Robinson and his family.

“We stayed in his house, we sat on the back porch and we had barbeque. It was important for me to go there. We still are members of a family. We still have cousins and nieces and nephews who don’t see us in any other way other than ‘Meesh’ –- which is what my family calls me –- and ‘Barack.’ Those are the kind of other things that tend to be important.”

What is a good time? Going to her girlfriend’s house and “breaking down ‘this façade’ and having the girlfriend you always knew.”

“It’s important for me for sure and it’s definitely important for my friends and family.”

Photo credit: First lady Michelle Obama joins hands to pray with the Halls family as she dines with them in their home in Orlando, Florida, February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

DALLAS – Michelle Obama, who entered the 2008 presidential electoral season reluctant to go out in public and urge voters to support her husband, shared a surprising nugget of personal information: their kids love to campaign.

The first lady, who has been fiercely protective of her daughters Malia and Sasha and their privacy since Barack Obama became president, said that to the kids, the campaign trail was fun.

“They actually like campaigning,” Mrs Obama told a small group of reporters traveling with her on a three-day tour to promote her healthy eating and exercise “Let’s Move” program.

“Because when they were younger, when we were first running, what was campaigning? Campaigning was when you fly into a city with a bunch of young campaign workers who love kids and they took them for ice cream, everywhere.”

With a laugh, the first lady recalled how, after a day of campaigning for the 2008 election, she took stock of what her daughters had done while she was meeting voters and revving them up to elect her husband.

“One day, I counted it — this was before ‘Let’s Move’ — we were back on the plane and I found out exactly what they were doing when I was on the stage — they had had ice cream four times that day,” she said. “So Sasha’s like ‘I love campaigning.’ They have kind of a skewed (view).”

Obama said Malia and Sasha will be given the option to take part or not in the campaigning as their dad seeks re-election in November.

Asked what she had done to prepare her daughters for a potentially ugly battle to stay in the White House, Obama said she spelled out what would happen if their dad won and if he lost.

“I just try to play out both sides of the scenario. And make both sides seem great. So that they understand whatever happens, you guys are going to be good.”

Photo credits: First lady Michelle Obama during a stop on her three-day trip to mark the two-year anniversary of her “Let’s Move” initiative, February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Obama, who has led a healthy eating and fitness program for
children for two years, lent her voice on Thursday to the
military’s efforts to overhaul the food it serves.

In an event at Little Rock Air Force Base, Obama announced a
new Pentagon obesity and nutritional awareness campaign that
will change nutrition standards across the services for the
first time in 20 years.

The changes will bring more fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and food choices that are lower in fat to 1.45 million troops a
day at all 1,100 American military dining facilities in the
coming months.

“This isn’t just a drop in the bucket – this is really a big
splash,” Obama said.

“It’s happening because our military leaders know it’s not
just a diet issue, it’s not just a health issue. This is truly a
national security issue,” she said at the base, which already
has a pilot program to improve nutritional quality of food
available to service members and their families.

Obama cited a recent army study that says more than one
quarter of 17- to 24-year-olds are too overweight to serve in
the military. Active members of the military are also becoming
more overweight, a Pentagon official said, and that causes a
“readiness problem.”

“The military is always taking the lead in terms of setting
standards,” said Assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs Jonathan Woodson. “Now we have an opportunity to take
leadership … as we face this epidemic of obesity.”

Woodson said the U.S. military spends about $4.65 billion in
food services each year. It also spends an estimated $1.1
billion a year on medical care associated with excess weight and
obesity.

To promote good choices, the military will redesign menus
and supply healthier foods in mess halls and in vending machines
and snack bars on military bases.

The first lady, who has been doing the rounds of television
talk shows and late-night comedy shows to promote her “Let’s
Move” campaign to improve the nation’s eating and exercise
habits, said changes by the Pentagon would send an important
message to the country.

“Simply put, this is America’s entire military once again
stepping forward to lead by example,” she told airmen at the
base after touring a dining facility.

Earlier in the day, Obama practiced what she preached as she
stood on a stage with Olympic athletes, politicians and
celebrity trainers to lead 14,000 arm-pumping Iowa children in
an energetic rendition of “The Interlude” – a dance made popular
at Northern Iowa University.

(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Xavier Briand)

“Let’s Moooooove!” Michelle Obama yelled, standing on stage with Iowa celebrities, Olympic athletes and college students to lead 14,000 kids in dancing to celebrate the second anniversary of her healthy eating and fitness initiative.

Dressed in a red and white sweater with a heart on it, the first lady smiled broadly as she jumped and clapped, making the Ninja moves and fist pumps of the Northern Iowa University dance “The Interlude.”

After the dance, a breathless Bob Harper — one of the trainers on the Biggest Loser TV show — presented Obama with a massive cake to celebrate the program’s second birthday.

In keeping with the healthy eating mantra of the “Let’s Move” program, the multi-story cake was made of layers of bananas, apples, grapes, oranges, pineapples and grapefruit.

Photo credits: Michelle Obama at an event to promote her “Let’s Move” initiative at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, February 9, 2012. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Obama, who has spearheaded a healthy eating and fitness
program for children for two years, will lend her voice on
Thursday to the military’s efforts to overhaul the food it
serves.

In an event in Little Rock, Arkansas, Obama will join top
Pentagon officials to announce a new obesity and nutritional
awareness campaign that will change nutrition standards across
the services for the first time in 20 years.

The changes will bring more fruits, vegetables, whole grains
and food choices that are lower in fat to 1,100 service member
dining facilities in the coming months.

According to the White House, more than one quarter of 17-
to 24-year-olds are too overweight to serve in the military.
Active members of the military are also becoming more
overweight, a Pentagon official said, and that causes a
“readiness problem.”

“The Department of Defense considers obesity not only a
national problem but a national security issue,” Assistant U.S.
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson told
reporters in a call to discuss the first lady’s visit to
Arkansas and other states to promote healthy eating.

“Our primary focus is on the health and well-being of
service members, their families, and our retirees,” Woodson said
in remarks to be delivered in Little Rock. “Obesity is a
preventable problem which, if combatted, can help prevent
disease and ease the burden on our overall Military Health
System.”

There is a lot of money involved. Woodson says the U.S.
military spends about $4.65 billion in food services each year.
It also spends an estimated $1.1 billion a year on medical care
associated with excess weight and obesity.

In an effort to promote good choices, the military will
redesign menus and try to supply healthier foods in mess halls
and on bases and in vending machines and snack bars on military
bases.

The first lady, who has been doing the rounds of television
talk shows and late-night comedy shows to promote her “Let’s
Move” campaign to improve the nation’s eating and exercise
habits, said changes by the Pentagon would send an important
message.

“Whenever our men and women in uniform step forward,
Americans take notice. When our service members make healthy
eating a priority in their lives, the rest of us are more likely
to make it a priority in our lives,” she said in remarks
prepared for delivery at Little Rock Air Force Base.

“Simply put, this is America’s entire military once again
stepping forward to lead by example.”

(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Peter Cooney)