(CBS13) BEIJING, China Getting a head start in life can be a matter of feet and inches for people in China. As Celia Hatton explains, people are going to extremes to make sure they measure up.

A boost in height, a boost in confidence, even a career boost. In China, a few extra inches can make a big difference.

That’s why some Chinese believe the pain of leg lengthening surgery is worth it.

Surgeons saw into patients shin bones, and then insert metal rods that gradually coax the shin bones to grow across a widening gap all to make their legs a bit longer.

“Most of our patients have the surgery because they’re not tall enough for their ideal school or career,” explains clinic doctor Xia Hetao. “Even if workplaces don’t list a specific height requirement, they still compare applicants.”

The procedure costs up to 25 thousand dollars, but people are still signing up

Beijing native Dong Mei has recovered from the surgery she spent 8 months in hospital to grow less than 5 inches.

In China, height is a symbol of beauty but Chinese health officials are trying to bring surgery hopefuls back down to Earth. Ten people were disfigured by the operation last year leading the government to warn against leg-lengthening surgery for cosmetic reasons.

But many jobs in China from nurses to flight attendants have height restrictions. Even college students are subject to the measuring tape: film majors and future foreign diplomats are required to be at least 5’3”.

In modern China, leg-surgery means more than simply rising above the competition.

Height differences are increasingly linked to social status. Well-fed children in urban cities are breaking height records, creating an uneven playing field between those who can afford nutritious food and those who cant.

One consolation: Tall people are all the rage now, but those who reject leg-stretching surgery only have to look back in history for good role models. The architect of China’s booming economy, Deng Xiaoping, was just 4’11”.