11-year-old is set on FIRE and undergoes cupping treatment to lose weight

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.

Are you ready? Li Hang is undergoing various treatment including fire therapy and acupuncture to lose weight in China

Terrifying: 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 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.

Determined: Suffering from Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, Li is also undergoing cupping therapy

No effort spared: Li's family hoped the treatment could help him lose weight and live a normal life in north-east China

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).

Relax: The boy is currently undergoing treatment at the Changchun Kangda Hospital in Changchun city.

New life ahead: Li Hang has lost 2.4 stone (34 pounds) since he started the slimming treatment two months ago, reports said.

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.

According to China Daily, Li Hang has lost 2.4 stone (34 pounds) since he started the traditional Chinese medicine treatment two months ago. 

HOW PRADER-WILLI SYNDROME IS CAUSED BY GENETIC DEFECT

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes problems including constant urges to eat food, restricted growth and reduced muscle tone. 

Other potential issues include learning difficulties, lack of sexual development and behavioural problems such as tantrums or stubbornness. 

The rare condition, which affects one in every 15,000 children born in England, is caused by a defect on chromosome number 15 - and happens by chance.Because there is no cure, treatment aims to manage the symptoms – with parents of sufferers urged to get their children to stick to a healthy, balanced diet. 

Children with the syndrome can eat up to six times more than children of the same age – and still feel hungry.It was first described in 1956 by Swiss doctors A Prader, A Labhart and H Willi.