Michelle Obama in motion: The first lady's campaign for fitness and healthy eating

Michelle Obama’s campaign for health and fitness has included planting gardens, playing soccer and hula-hooping on the White House lawn.

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Feb. 10, 2012

Michelle Obama cheers along with children during a taping of the TV cooking show "Top Chef" in Dallas. During a contest on the show, children paired up with top chefs to prepare low-cost, healthy school lunches. The first lady is on a three-day trip to mark the two-year anniversary of her Let's Move initiative.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 10, 2012

Obama high-fives Dallas Cowboys mascot Rowdy as she arrived at the Kleberg-Rylie recreation center in Dallas.

L.M. Otero / AP

Feb. 10, 2012

Obama cheers along with children during a taping of the TV cooking show "Top Chef" in Dallas.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 10, 2012

Children reach to greet Obama during a cooking contest event at the Kleberg-Rylie recreation center in Dallas.

L.M. Otero / AP

Feb. 10, 2012

Obama watches chefs at work, along with "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio, left, and assistant White House chef Sam Kass, second from left, during a taping of "Top Chef" in Dallas.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 10, 2012

From left, Obama, assistant White House chef Sam Kass, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, "Top Chef" head judge Tom Colicchio and Trey Payton of Nancy Moseley Elementary School participate in a Let's Move event with members of "Top Chef" at the Kleberg-Rylie recreation center in Dallas.

Carolyn Kaster / AP

Feb. 10, 2012

Obama judges food, along with assistant White House chef Sam Kass, left, and "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio, during a taping of "Top Chef" in Dallas.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 9, 2012

Obama kicks off her three-day national tour in Des Moines to highlight Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative. More than 10,000 children from Iowa schools joined Obama during an interactive celebration for Let's Move at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Conrad Schmidt / AFP/Getty Images

Feb. 9, 2012

Obama dances during an event highlighting her Let's Move initiative attended by more than 10,000 children at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 9, 2012

Obama dances during an event highlighting her Let's Move initiative at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Children dance with Obama at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Charlie Neibergall / AP

Feb. 9, 2012

Obama looks at a birthday cake made of fruit during an event to promote her Let's Move initiative at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Feb. 9, 2012

Obama serves herself some salad during a round-table dinner at an Olive Garden restaurant in Fort Worth during her three-day national tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let's Move.

Carolyn Kaster / AP

Feb. 1, 2012

Ellen DeGeneres challenges Obama to a push-up contest during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in Burbank, Calif.

Michael Rozman / AP

Jan. 25, 2012

Obama participates in a tug of war with talk-show host Jimmy Fallon in the Blue Room of the White House.

The White House / Getty Images

Jan. 25, 2012

Obama has lunch with children at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Va. Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is at left.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Jan. 25, 2012

Obama visited Parklawn Elementary School to help unveil the USDA's new guidelines for public school lunch programs.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Nov. 1, 2011

Obama visits children, parents and staff at the Royal Castle Child Development Center in New Orleans as part of her Let's Move initiative.

Gerald Herbert / AP

Oct. 25, 2011

Obama speaks to guests during a visit to a Walgreens store in Chicago. The visit was part of her Let's Move initiative, which is designed to promote healthy eating and lifestyles in low-income areas.

Scott Olson / Getty Images

Oct. 11, 2011

Obama is surrounded by schoolchildren as she participates in a challenge on the White House Lawn to break the Guinness World Records title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

June 8, 2011

Obama sits with toddlers as they have their lunch at CentroNia, a bilingual child-care facility in Washington. She announced Let's Move! Child Care, an effort to increase healthy eating among children.

Charles Dharapak / AP

June 8, 2011

Obama does the bunny hop with a child as she and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visit CentroNia, a bilingual child-care facility, as she announces the Let's Move! Child Care initiative.

Charles Dharapak / AP

Jan. 27, 2011

Obama talks with Lt. Col. Sonya Cable during a tour of Fort Jackson's "Go for Green" dining program, which encourages healthy eating. Obama visited the Army's largest training post at Fort Jackson outside Columbia, S.C., to see what the Army has done to encourage healthful habits, including more rigorous training drills and fat-free milk in its mess halls.

Gerry Melendez / AP

Jan. 20, 2011

Obama speaks at a Wal-Mart event unveiling the retail giant's campaign to offer more healthful foods. Obama joined Wal-Mart executives for the announcement at THEARC, a community center in Southeast Washington that runs a healthful eating program for residents in surrounding neighborhoods.

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

Jan. 20, 2011

Obama speaks next to Wal-Mart President and CEO Bill Simon. "No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford," Simon said in a statement posted on the company's Web site. "With more than 140 million customers each week, Wal-Mart is uniquely positioned to make a difference by making food healthier and more affordable to everyone."

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

Jan. 20, 2011

Wal-Mart praised Obama's "spirit of collaboration" and called her a "catalyst that helped make today's announcement a reality."

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Jan. 20, 2011

Obama greets children after participating in the Wal-Mart announcement.

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

Nov. 18, 2010

Obama runs alongside a child at the Police Athletic League Harlem Center in New York.

Kathy Willens / AP

Sept. 8, 2010

Obama runs a 40-yard sprint as she participates in the Let's Move campaign and the NFL's Play 60 Campaign festivities with children in New Orleans.

Gerald Herbert / AP

July 20, 2010

Obama high-fives a player during a sport clinic with local youths and members of the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays baseball teams.

Rob Carr / AP

July 20, 2010

Obama speaks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore during an event with Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. The associations teamed up with the White House in the Let's Move campaign, which promotes exercise and healthy eating for America's youth.

Rob Carr / AP

June 4, 2010

Obama asks more than 500 chefs gathered at the White House to join her anti-obesity campaign and help schools serve more nutritious, tastier meals as part of the Chefs Move to Schools program.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

May 25, 2010

Obama plays with children at an event kicking off the South Lawn Series, which is a roster of summer activities at the White House designed to promote physical activity.

Carolyn Kaster / AP

May 19, 2010

Obama shares a meal with students during a visit to New Hampshire Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md. The school, which was awarded the USDA's Healthier U.S. School Challenge Silver Award in 2009, serves more than 400 Pre-K, Head Start, first- and second-grade students, many of whom come from Central America, South America, and other countries.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

June 4, 2010

Students from Hollin Meadows Elementary School in Alexandria join Obama during the White House chef event to harvest vegetables and cook a meal from a recipe.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

March 31, 2010

"Peas! We did some peas!" Obama told elementary students at spring planting at the White House Kitchen Garden. Recounting 2009's harvest, the first lady said, "We harvested over 55 different kinds of healthy food — 55!"

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

March 31, 2010

Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Obama join students from Bancroft and Hollin Meadows elementary schools at the White House Kitchen Garden spring planting event.

Marvin Joseph / The Washington Post

March 5, 2010

Obama promotes the Let's Move! campaign at a free clinic sponsored by the U.S. Soccer Foundation in Washington.

Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

March 5, 2010

The soccer clinic was part of the first lady's program to fight childhood obesity. Pillars of Let's Move! include more nutritional information, increased physical activity, easier access to healthful foods and, ultimately, personal responsibility.

Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

Oct. 21, 2009

Obama jump-ropes "Double Dutch"-style on the South Lawn of the White House during an event promoting exercise and healthy eating for children. The Healthy Kids Fair included events on cooking healthy meals and emphasized children getting a proper amount of outdoor exercise each day.

Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

Oct. 21, 2009

Obama hula-hoops on the South Lawn of the White House during an event promoting exercise and healthy eating for children.

Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

Oct. 21, 2009

Obama works with students on preparing healthy meals at the White House Healthy Kids Fair.

Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

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