Chinese boy, 16, spends S$3,012 at clinic to grow 1.4cm over 6 months, shrinks back after 2 weeks

A 16-year-old boy in China spent 16,700 yuan (S$3,012) on a treatment designed to lengthen his body, successfully growing by 1.4cm over six months.

Two weeks later, he shrank back to his original height.

Knee activation

The boy, known by his surname Huang, reportedly received the treatment in a clinic in Xiamen, China from February to August this year.

He was routinely accompanied by his father during the weekly or fortnightly treatment, which included the use of medical equipment to "activate" his knees, South China Morning Post reported.

The institution told The Beijing News that their treatment was designed to stimulate a child's knee bones to help them grow taller.

At one point, when Huang missed an appointment, his father noticed that he had shrunk, but the clinic claimed that it was because the treatment was incomplete.

Shrunk

Huang's height increased from 165cm to 166.4cm over the course of six months.

However, two weeks after the treatment ended, Huang's father again noticed that his height had decreased back to 165cm, and filed a complaint to the institution.

A member of the staff offered a full refund, saying that Huang was "too old to be corrected", according to SCMP.

Humans are not noodles

An endocrinologist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital said that stretching the body is not a scientifically proven method of increasing one's height.

"Humans are not noodles. It is unscientific to stretch a person longer," he said.

He added that a person's height naturally changes through the day, depending on how relaxed the spine is.

A person is typically half to a centimetre taller in the morning and night than in the afternoon, he said.

Online commenters also took to the internet to voice their opinions on the incident.

"If the treatment worked, there would be no short people," one said.

It remains unknown whether the clinic was qualified to perform the treatment on children.

Top images from QQ.com via SCMP