My wife, (5"0" tall and made in China) and an exchange student (4"11" and made in Japan) who is staying with us were talking about this yesterday.
Girls in China head to Japan to have leg lenthening surgery because they don't like being short.
Now, the girls have another reason to go to Japan. China has banned leg-stretching surgery for cosmetic reasons only.
The procedure involves breaking the patient's legs (everybody say ouch!), then stretching them on a rack and putting pins in to make them legs longer.
After that, the girls pour money into the pockets of the surgeons and their clinics.
China now allows the procedure only in hospitals that do at least 400 orthopedic operations a year and offer post-surgery care and rehabilitation.
Surgeons must be licensed orthopedic specialists with at least 5 years experience (perhaps working for the Chinese mafia has a finger buster?)
The only apparently legitimate reason for such operations is when individuals have different limb lengths or a limb is damaged by injury, disease, tumor or infection.
And, breaking a limb on purpose is NOT damaging?
FWIW, and I fully admit to being partial. My petite wife is cute as a button. She just has a hard time finding clothes in American stores unless she visits the junior departments.
But, then, what the hey. Clothes are cheaper there.
What do you think?
I think it's natural for Asians to be short and besides, being petite isn't a big deal. Like you said, it's cute being short and you can buy cheaper clothes.
Posted by: Janet | November 7, 2006 5:46 PM | Permalink to Comment