First lady emphasizes health, not weight, to her daughters

WASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama says she tries to talk about health — not weight — with her daughters.

Mrs. Obama, who launched a public awareness campaign against childhood obesity, says too much talk about weight and body size can lead to eating disorders. She says she is particularly sensitive to that because of her daughters, 12-year-old Malia and 9-year-old Sasha.

Instead of talking about weight, the first lady says she talks to them about eating right, what they look like and why it's important.

Mrs. Obama discussed her anti-obesity campaign during a web chat Tuesday with AOL Health. Her comments were in response to a question from a North Carolina woman who sought advice for helping overweight children.