About 600 students in kindergarten through grade 12 will strut their stuff during the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors’ season-opening football game Thursday against the University of Southern California.

The youths are a part of the Hawaii 5210 Let’s Go! initiative to promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle and prevent childhood obesity. The name refers to a series of healthy behaviors: eating five or more fruits and vegetables, cutting back to no more than two hours of "screen time," participating in at least one hour of physical activity and consuming zero sugary beverages each day.

The program is based at the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and is led by the Hawaii Initiative for Childhood Obesity Research and Education.

The Hawaii 5210 halftime dance is a three-minute mix of hula and chant that turns into a hip-hop rap. "It’s really catchy and easy to learn," said program spokeswoman Rome Esperanza-Stein.

She said bad health habits are hard to break, and that the song is a more effective reminder to youngsters than loading them up with a bunch of nutritional facts.

"For some, the ‘zero sugary drinks’ may cause them to stop drinking sodas or sports drinks and start drinking more water. For others, they may reach for a crisp apple at the cafeteria instead of the bag of chips because they realize they are not getting in ‘five fruits and vegetables.’ It’s small changes that can help these kids have more control over their choices," Esperanza-Stein said.

Thursday’s halftime performance will showcase organizations and schools actively participating in the Hawaii 5210 Let’s Go! program. These include the Boys and Girls Club in Nanakuli, Drill Team Hawaii, E Ola Koa, Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus, Kamehameha Schools, Mid-Pacific Institute, Sacred Hearts Academy, Street Jamz Werkout and YMCA after-school programs.

Find step-by-step instructions for the Hawaii 5210 dance on YouTube.com.