When Most of us think of stretching our legs, we think of warming up for a 30 minute aerobics session, but in China, leg stretching takes on a whole new meaning. Some people actually have their legs stretched by doctors to make them taller! Each leg has to be broken into eight pieces. Then steel rods are put in place to hold the bones together while they grow back. These special rods will be slowly stretched over several months to lengthen the leg. The process is slow and painful, and in the case of Wei Huang, it took nearly 18 months in order to add 18 cm to her height.

Such surgeries cost more than most people can make in a year, but Wei Huang says she does not regret the cost, nor does she regret the inconvenience and pain. She believes she will have more opportunities in life such as finding a good job and husband. Her parents paid for the operation and feel that this is an investment in their daughter's future.

The pressure to become taller comes, in part, from the new open society of China. Fashion magazines which were once banned in China are now available at newsstands everywhere. The images of the popular models pressure girls into wanting to be taller.

There are also other pressures as well. Height is considered an important asset in the job market. Such discrimination is not prohibited in China. You can be turned down from a job for being fat, short, or simply too ugly. Some jobs such as foreign ministers and flight attendants, have height requirements. Even law schools have height requirements for admittance.

Height by cosmetic surgery does not come without a price. During these months, you can't walk around freely and there is a lot of pain. Wei Huang says she was in so much pain that she could not sleep at nights. But now that she is 8 cm taller, she says she would not hesitate to recommend the procedure to others. “Before the surgery no one paid attention to me,” she said, “but now, they do.”