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Last year it was South Korea that began with the initiative. Faced with their demographic crisis, children are a “precious good” that there is care and prepare for a demanding future, so much that they were even starting them Medicar if “they did not give the size”. That germ now seems to have entered China, where competitiveness at all levels, from marriage to labor ascent, is taking many parents to a dangerous escalation. A phenomenon of stature. The height of Chinese children has increased significantly in recent decades, with The greatest world increase Between 1986 and 2019, according to the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, a scientific network linked to WHO. This growth has been promoted by improvements in nutrition, access to quality proteins and government programs such as The National School Milk Planthat today distributes free milk to 32.1 million students. However, and despite these advances, many parents consider their children still They are not high enoughwhich has led to a boom in The use of growth hormones and other strategies to increase height. Social pressure. The desire that children are higher is not only a matter of health, but, as we said, it reflects intense competition in labor and marriage markets. In a society where beauty and success standards have been homogenized, the height is seen as A key attribute to obtain better job opportunities and greater attraction in marriage. There are studies. In fact, investigations from the Universidad Deportiva de Pekín and the University of Beijing have confirmed that the highest people in China are more likely to marry and win better salaries. This phenomenon is intensified by the gender imbalance caused by The only child’s policywhich left an excess of men competing in pairs. The companies “push.” They counted in Nikkei That Chinese companies reinforce this trend when establishing height requirements in their job ads, even in positions where it does not seem relevant. An example: A Hangzhou company was looking for a male model for live streaming and only demanded that he measure more than 1.85 meters, regardless of his appearance. For women, the requirement was 1.75 meters. The hormone boom. All this has led to a dangerous escalation of parents. The increase in concern for height has led to an explosive growth In the growth hormone industry in China, which tripled its size since 2018 and exceeded the United States as the largest market in the world. In 2023, the sector reached 12.5 billion yuan (1.75 billion dollars) and remain expanding. In addition, although growth hormones are only authorized for children with hormonal deficiency, many parents seek doctors willing to prescribe them unofficially. For example, the medium counted The case of li taia Changsha filmmaker who began to inject hormones to his 5 -year -old son after noticing that he was lower than 97% of the kids of his age. In a year and a half, the child exceeded the stature of half of his teammates, although the treatment cost him 130,000 yuan ($ 18,000) and coincided with the start of nasal hemorrhages (yes, the doctor ruled out a direct relationship). The figures. Currently, some 700 children are under treatment With growth hormones in the clinic of Dr. Zhu Xinyu in Xiamen, while the Chinese market continues to expand with new treatments that require less injections and longer cycles. It is estimated that by 203010.7% of children diagnosed with hormonal deficiency will receive treatment, compared to 3.7% in 2018. The risks of obsession. Doctors like Zhu and Lu Wenli warned in the report that prolonged use of growth hormones It entails risks like Intracranial hypertension, scoliosis, alterations in blood sugar levels or even possible links with cancer. Thus, parents seem willing to assume these risks and pay the treatments of their pocket, since growth hormones are not covered by the National Health System. How much do we talk about? The annual cost of standard treatment It ranges between 60,000 and 70,000 yuan (8,500/10,000 dollars). The social impact of obsession. Here comes another problem dystopic Added. Nikkei had That the eagerness to make children higher is exacerbating social inequality in China. Families with greater resources They can pay treatments With hormones and training programs, which gives them an advantage in the future work and marriage. As a result, a cycle is being formed in which high children and wealthy families They continue to get more benefitswhile those of lower class are (even more) lagging. Meanwhile, the growing stature of the population is forcing institutions and companies to Make structural adjustments. The cities have raised the minimum height to travel free by public transport of 1.1 meters to 1.3 meters in some cases. For the meters, they have increased the height of its doors from 1.8 meters to 1.85 meters in the newest models. In pediatric hospitals they have had to buy larger beds for larger children, and even the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has proposed to raise the height of the ceilings of new buildings to 3 meters to facilitate the installation of heating and air conditioning systems. In fact, The obsession with height He has taken automotive companies such as Byd and child to start designing cars with more leg space, and children’s clothing manufacturers, which have not yet adapted completely to change, seem to be difficult to find adequate garments for higher children. Pressure from childhood. In some cases, parents impose Strict exercises and diets to maximize the growth potential of their children without resorting to hormones. Cases like Lin Fan’sa mother of Shanghai, who forces her almost 6 -year -old daughter to jump the rope between 400 and 500 times a day, take fish oil supplements and eat more than usual. The girl was of average stature, but in the last two years she has fallen to the lowest quintile, which worries Lin, who measures 1.68 meters and expects her daughter to reach her. For this mother, a young woman who measures at least 1.65 meters will have better opportunities … Read more