How Some Chinese Kids Shed The Pounds (PHOTOS)

How Some Kids Shed The Pounds In The World's Second-Most Obese Country

Rising obesity among Chinese children has prompted some parents in the Asian nation to take drastic measures, for example by sending their overweight kids to summer camps designed to help them lose the pounds.

Photographer Kevin Frayer recently traveled to one of these so called "fat camps," capturing both moments of joy and trepidation. Parents told Getty that by sending their children to the camps, they are seeking to prepare them for the "hectic challenges of life in one of the world's largest economies."

China currently stands as No. 2 for obesity within the world, just behind the United States. In a study that analyzed weight trends in 188 countries, researchers found that nearly 30 percent of Chinese adult men and women are overweight or obese.

Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Overweight Chinese students line up before training at a camp held for overweight children on July 14, 2014 in Beijing, China. Obesity is a growing problem amongst the burgeoning middle-class in China, and recent studies show that the country is now the second fattest in the world behind the United States. Many parents send their children to special summer camps in an effort to get them into shape and prepare them for the hectic challenges of life in one of the world's largest economies.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student stretches during training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 16, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student weeps after a light exercise during training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 16, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Overweight Chinese students stretch after swimming during training at a camp held for overweight children on July 15, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Overweight Chinese students lay in a swimming pool during training at a camp held for overweight children on July 15, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student uses a strengthening device during training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 16, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student does sit-ups during training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 16, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Overweight Chinese students run during training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 17, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student is weighed by nurses during a medical check before training at a camp held for overweight children on July 14, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
An overweight Chinese student plays a game on his mobile phone as he waits for a medical check before training at a camp held for overweight children on July 14, 2014 in Beijing, China.
Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
Overweight Chinese students are served a nutrition balanced lunch during a break from training at a camp held for overweight children at a local university on July 17, 2014 in Beijing, China.

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