First Lady offers advice on men

Michelle Obama, the US First Lady, has given advice on dating in an interview to a magazine.

Mrs Obama urges women not to choose men simply because they are "cute".

"Cute is good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it's, Who are you as a person?," she said. "Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul.

"When you're dating a man, you should always feel good. You shouldn't be in a relationship with somebody who doesn't make you completely happy and make you feel whole."

She said family members, such as fathers and mothers, as well as teachers are best placed to inspire others.

Mrs Obama cited her own experience in role models and said none of them were movie stars.

She said: "They were the people in my life. My mum, for sure. My dad. The teachers. For me, role-modelling was immediate, it was touchable. Children connect with who is in their lives, present and accounted for.

"That's why we're trying to encourage mums, teachers, fathers, to be that presence in their children's lives, in their communities, because it really makes a difference."

Mrs Obama is featured on the cover of the magazine, the first president's wife to be a "cover girl" in its 70-year publishing history, wearing a sleeveless red dress showing off her toned bare arms.

The First Lady was also given a special recognition award by the magazine for mentoring young women.

Excerpts of the interview, by TV news anchor Katie Couric for Glamour's December issue, were published on the magazine's website.

Mrs Obama also tells how she has become a style and fashion icon since moving into the White House.

She said women should set their own standards.

"People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions, particularly when you're the First Lady; you're representing the nation," she said.

"So I can't be surprised that people are interested.

"But I've tried to be at peace with the choices that I make first, and then be open to everyone else's reflection."

In answer to a question from Couric on how she keeps her sanity, Mrs Obama replied: "I have always tried to put my kids first, and then put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh.

"One thing that I've learned from male role models is that they don't hesitate to invest in themselves."