Battling the bulge

Childhood obesity is on the rise in China. Zhang Tao checks out a summer camp to help overweight children slim down and live healthier.

Underneath the scorching sunshine in Zhengzhou, Henan province, 34 overweight children sweat profusely, gasping for air as they jog. They contribute to a shocking new statistic in the world's most populous country. According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of obese people under the age of 18 has reached 120 million in 2013, and the number is on the rise. Summer vacation for obese children is not a time to laze around anymore. They are now turning up at "obesity camps" to change their future.

A children's hospital in Zhengzhou, Henan province, holds a weight-loss camp this summer and attracts 34 children ages 8-14. Photos by Zhang Tao / for China Daily