A 16-year-old teenager spent $2,350 on growth therapy sessions over six months, but lost the 1.4 centimeters he had gained in just two weeks after quitting the therapy.

Limb lengthening surgery is a painful and extreme way oaf adding an inch or two to one’s height, but those unwilling to go under the knife and hammer for a more imposing stature can opt for so-called ‘non-invasive growth therapy”. This basically involves various stretching exercises that can allegedly unlock a person’s growth potential. One Chinese teenager convinced his family to spend about 16,700 yuan ($2,350) on growth therapy sessions over a period of six months, but he was ultimately disappointed because the 1.4 centimeter he gained during that period of time vanished soon after the therapy stopped.