An 11-year-old boy who weighs 23 stone (330 pounds) is going through frightening traditional Chinese medicine treatment in a desperate attempt to lose weight.
Li Hang is undergoing various treatment including fire cupping, fire therapy and acupuncture at a hospital in Changchun city, north-east China's Jilin Province.
The child suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterised by obsessive eating, learning difficulties and growth abnormalities.
Li Hang comes from the city of Harbin in the neighbouring Heilongjiang Province.
He was diagnosed with the Prader–Willi syndrome at the age of three, according to China Daily.
When he was four years old, he already weighed 6.7 stone (94 pounds), which was about 2.5 times the weight of his peers.
The average weight for a four-year-old boy in China is 2.6 stone (36.6 pounds), according to China's National Health and Family Planning Commission.
Li Hang's weight increased dramatically in the years to come and met learning difficulties, the China Daily article said.
He was diagnosed with more than 10 illnesses related to obesity, including high blood pressure, fat liver and gout.
In March, 2016, Li Hang, who was 5ft tall, measured 26.2 stone (368 pounds) in weight. His family encouraged him to lose weight through exercising, but his various attempts all failed.
His family then took him to the Number One Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Heilongjiang to undergo gastric bypass surgery, in hope of helping him lose weight.
Li Hang's weight dropped to 22 stone (315 pounds) after the surgery, but it quickly bounced back to 23 stone (330 pounds).ok
