When the Obamas Sleep, Wake Up, What's Foremost in Their Minds?

What's the last thing the Obamas think about before they go to bed at night and what's on their minds when they wake up in the morning?

As provocative as this sounds, the answer is very G-rated. First Lady Michelle Obama, in the midst of giving a string of interviews to publicize her "Let's Move" anti-childhood obesity drive, told CBS "Early Show" anchor Maggie Rodriguez what's foremost in the first couple's thoughts: Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8. "He and I both wake up every morning and go to bed every night with their faces on our minds," Mrs. Obama said. "You know, this is not about us. This is about their future."

Mrs. Obama also sat down with Robin Givhan of The Washington Post, one of the regulars on the first lady beat, in her East Wing office Monday to talk about fitness. The "Let's Move'' initiative has several components; healthy eating is a big piece of it; exercise is another. The name of the drive, Mrs. Obama's first major initiative in the Obama White House, clearly can be taken several ways -- to move on the epidemic of childhood obesity (which hits especially hard in African-American and Hispanic communities) and just move to get and stay in shape.

"If kids are naturally active, they shouldn't have to worry about what they eat," she told Givhan for an article published in Thursday's issue. "That's how it was when we were growing up. Nobody talked to you about nutrition. You ate your vegetables. You ate what was on your plate. And you went outside and played. There wasn't a need for structured activity. The physical education piece is about exploring that. In our nation, what happened? What have been the cultural trends that have led us away from that regular exercise and activity that kids used to get?"

Givhan reports that Mrs. Obama "will unveil the details of a comprehensive fitness agenda in the coming weeks," milking the rollout as much as possible. We know that Mrs. Obama plays tennis and works out with a trainer. When she was a kid growing up in Chicago, however, she never played team sports, Givhan writes. Though Title IX -- the parity law that opened up sports for girls -- was in place since 1972 (when Mrs. Obama was 8), the first lady told Givhan "there weren't organized leagues for girls that I can recall." She described herself growing up on the South Side of Chicago as a "tall, lanky, crazy-skinny kid" who was never overweight. Givhan reports that Mrs. Obama "ran a bit of track in high school."

"In my mind, I still picture the neighborhood where we played," she said. "You'd maybe take a break and sit on the stoop or run inside to get water, but you were doing that just to get it done because you didn't want to miss out on anything."

She noted: "If I'm more reflective, because my father had multiple sclerosis and physical movement wasn't a given for him, as I talk to my brother now, neither one of us took our physical fitness for granted. We knew our father was a jock when he grew up -- he boxed -- and to see him go from that so quickly, without any warning, to someone who couldn't walk without crutches, you don't take that for granted. I don't think my father ever did."

Congress will have a big say in the success of "Let's Move," especially when it comes to revamping parts of the federal school lunch program. Coming up on March 2, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on strengthening the federal nutrition and school meal programs through the coming child nutrition reauthorization. Because Mrs. Obama said she would testify before Congress if need be, I asked committee spokeswoman Melissa Salmanowitz if she would be a witness. "The first lady will not be testifying at our hearing next week," she responded, "but the hearing will address how the child nutrition reauthorization is a pillar of the first lady's initiative and can play a significant role in addressing childhood obesity and improving nutrition."