A man surnamed Huang paid 16,700 CNY (approximately 62 million VND) for his 16-year-old son's height enhancement treatment, which ran from February to August. The treatment involved leg stretching exercises and the use of medical equipment to "activate" the knees, with sessions taking place every one to two weeks. By August, the boy's height had increased by 1.4 cm, from 165 cm to 166.4 cm. However, just two weeks after the treatment concluded, his height returned to 165 cm. Mr. Huang noticed his son's height decrease whenever he missed a session, but the center's staff attributed this to the "incomplete treatment."

A staff member at the center later explained to Mr. Huang that his son was "too old for adjustments" and issued a full refund. Mr. Huang expressed his frustration, stating they should have been informed of this earlier.

Huang underwent the height enhancement treatment for six months. Screenshot: QQ

According to The Beijing News, the center claims its treatment stimulates knee bones to promote growth. However, Dr. Wu Xueyan, an endocrinologist at Peking University First Hospital, asserts that external leg stretching is not a scientifically sound method for increasing height. While acknowledging the possibility of a 0.5-1 cm increase through stretching, Dr. Wu pointed out, "A person is 0.5-1 cm taller in the morning than in the afternoon." He explained that a person's weight compresses their spine throughout the day, while at night, the spine decompresses, resulting in a slight height increase. "Humans are not noodles. Stretching a person out is unscientific," Dr. Wu stated in an interview on 5/9.

Dr. Wu emphasized that exercise is a more effective way to increase height, as it stimulates growth hormone production.

The incident sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media, with many urging the government to increase oversight of such facilities and promote scientific knowledge regarding children's height. "80% of a person's height is determined by DNA, and 20% by sleep quality," one commenter noted. Another remarked, "If this treatment truly worked, there would be no short people." A third commenter expressed outrage, writing, "It's shameful that some exploit parents' anxieties to scam them out of their money."

Binh Minh (Theo Sina, QQ)