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.
The therapist covers Li's skin with a wet towel before lighting another alcohol-soaked towel over his skin.
Li Hang comes from the city of Harbin in the neighbouring Heilongjiang Province.
He was diagnosed with the PraderWilli 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's family hoped the treatment could help him lose weight and live a normal life in north-east China.
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).
According to China Daily, Li Hang has lost 2.4 stone (34 pounds) since he started the traditional Chinese medicine treatment two months ago.
The boy is currently undergoing treatment at the Changchun Kangda Hospital in Changchun city, which specialises in obesity-related illnesses. Among the hospital's 53 overweight patients, seven were reported to be children.
Pictures taken on November 25 shows the hospital is applying a series of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on Li Hang, including fire cupping, fire therapy and acupuncture.
Fire therapy is typically used to help the patient lose weight or reduce bloating. The therapist would cover the patient's skin with a wet towel then light another alcohol-soaked towel over their skin to carry out the treatment.
Cupping is normally used to relieve muscle pain and facilitate blood circulation while acupuncture sees medicinal needles inserted into the patient's 'acupuncture points' to help relieve headache and pain.
