"To relieve stress I love kick boxing," First Lady Michelle Obama told Twitter users on Monday morning during a live Q&A on her @FLOTUS account, where she responded to 18 questions about her Let's Move! campaign. The queries were, of course, carefully selected so the First Lady could spotlight components of her initiative--"How can your #LetsMove campaign be incorporated into the classroom?" asked one participant; Mrs. Obama, not uncoincidentally, recently launched Let's Move! Active Schools, an initiative designed to solve that problem. (Above, a White House photo of Mrs. Obama in action)
Twitter is a wild frontier, and Mrs. Obama got Twitterjacked hours before her session began at 11:05 AM, with users flooding the timeline with hostile, racially charged Tweets using the hashtag #AskFLOTUS. The personal attacks continued long after Mrs. Obama was done.
During her Q&A, Mrs. Obama covered exercise, gardening, school fitness initiatives, healthy cooking, local sourcing, and her own personal fitness routine and eating preferences: "I love turkey & veggie chili," she wrote, with a link to the newly launched MyPlate Recipe Partnership, and said of the First Family "We enjoy biking as a family when we can." There was also Mom-in-Chief advice: Asked how kids can inspire their own parents to get healthy, Mrs. Obama responded "Get rid of the junk food, cook healthy meals with your parents & take them for a walk after dinner."
When one participant asked the million-dollar question "on behalf" of a fourth grade student--"is Let's Move really going to work?"--Mrs. Obama was cautiously optimistic.
"We're seeing positive changes, it will take everyone doing their part, kids too! (so eat your veggies)," she tweeted.
The session, in reverse chronological order:
Hi everyone!I'm excited to be here to answer some of your @letsmove questions. Let's get started! -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
I’m a new mom who loves exercising!@letsmove What can I do to make sure my little girl grows up finding fun in fitness too? #AskFLOTUS
— Starlene Stringer (@StarleneS) March 11, 2013
Right now, the First Lady is answering your questions about @letsmove! on Twitter. Join with #AskFLOTUS: twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/…
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus @letsmove #AskFLOTUS How much exercise are kids supposed a day?
— grownandcurvywoman (@grownandcurvywo) March 11, 2013
.@grownandcurvywo A minimum of 60 minutes a day -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus @letsmove What's your favourite cardio workout? #AskFLOTUS
— Niavski (@Niavski) March 11, 2013
.@niavski To relieve stress I love kick boxing -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus What is being done to make vegetables and healthier foods more available to rural families? #AskFLOTUS
— Derek Bell (@DubyaBell) March 11, 2013
.@dubyabell Farmers markets an excellent way to serve rural communities & working to increase grocery stores in those areas -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
how did you start good eating and exercise habits for your daughters? I have a 10 month old daughter and want some tips :) #AskFLOTUS
— amia (@paganmama9) March 11, 2013
@flotus what are steps we should all take to combat negative body image in children? #AskFLOTUS
— Sara G-R K (@SGRK1) March 11, 2013
.@sgrk1 Focus on how kids feel, not how they look. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
I'm a tech nerd. Any gadgets or apps you've found that have helped you stay healthy? @letsmove #askFLOTUS
— Justin W Murdock (@kindofadork) March 11, 2013
.@kindofadork For easy, healthy & tech friendly #MyPlate recipes, see our new pinboard on @pinterest: pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
#AskFLOTUS what is your favorite healthy winter recipe? Still waiting for spring vegetables here in Chicago!
— Gracie Foxwell (@GracieFoxwell) March 11, 2013
.@graciefoxwell I love turkey & veggie chili -- lots of great recipes here: pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes/ -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus @letsmove #AskFLOTUS How do we get schools to include Gym &/or Recess in their Curriculum?
— Susan Danzig (@SusanDanzig219) March 11, 2013
@flotus How do you find time in your schedule to exercise? #askflotus
— Anacostia Yogi (@AnacostiaYogi) March 11, 2013
.@anacostiayogi Make exercise a priority. Early morning workouts are key for me. That way I'm done before the day gets busy. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus @letsmove #AskFLOTUS Portions are so huge in America, so how do we encourage kids at a young age to decrease their portion sizes?
— Gopi Oza (@gopi_oza) March 11, 2013
.@gopi_oza It starts at home. Teach kids about healthy portions at a young age. Use #MyPlate as a guide. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus how do we make exercise for kids as enjoyable as the popular video games out there? #askflotus
— Pat Dean (@mediadean) March 11, 2013
.@mediadean There are great active video games, like DDR. Also, limit screen time & encourage outdoor play when possible. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus Would LOVE to get involved with #LetsMove. Is there a way to locate employment, volunteer, evaluation opportunities? #AskFLOTUS
— Jen Mortensen (@jen_mortensen) March 11, 2013
.@jen_mortensen Get involved -- go to Let's Move cities, town & counties to get started: letsmove.gov/join-us -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
Hi, First Lady. I'm interested in growing a kitchen garden with my 8 year old niece. Do you have any tips? #AskFLOTUS
— Anne D. (@1986Merican) March 11, 2013
.@1986merican Start small with something she can manage, like a container garden. Plant what she likes & keep it fun! -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus Do you have any favorite fun family activities with Summer soon approaching? #AskFLOTUS
— Del(@TweetsFromDel) March 11, 2013
.@tweetsfromdel We enjoy biking as a family when we can. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, what do you recommend for children trying to get their parents active/healthy? #AskFLOTUS
— Jaclyn Deihl (@JacDeihl) March 11, 2013
Great question @jacdeihl! Get rid of the junk food, cook healthy meals with your parents & take them for a walk after dinner. -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
#AskFlotus How can your #LetsMove campaign be incorporated into the classroom?
— Fallon (@fallonmarie93) March 11, 2013
.@fallonmarie93 It just takes one champion to change a classroom or a school. Find out how: letsmoveschools.org -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
@flotus asking on behalf of an @826la student in 4th grade: "is Let's Move really going to work?" #AskFLOTUS
— Albert Ching (@albertxii) March 11, 2013
.@albertxii @826la We're seeing positive changes, it will take everyone doing their part, kids too! (so eat your veggies) -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
This was fun! Gotta go -- will talk to you all soon. Until then, eat healthy & keep moving! -mo #AskFLOTUS
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013
*Photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House
