CHANGCHUN - A young Chinese couple, each weighing around 440 pounds, has caught national attention as they fight to lose weight in preparation for their first child.

Lin Yue, 29, and his wife Deng Yang, 27, are undergoing weight loss therapy at a hospital in Changchun City, northeast China's Jilin Province, which offered them free services.

The treatment started in late November and include a specific diet and exercise routine in addition to traditional Chinese therapy, such as acupuncture and massage. So far, Lin has lost 33 pounds while Deng temporarily abandoned the plan for her job in Sichuan, said Yu Shuzhong, the doctor working with the couple.

Yu estimated that Lin and Deng could get rid of half of their weight in 10 to 12 months if the plan goes well. However, Yu said losing the first pounds would be easy, but achieving the final goal would require "strong willpower."

A health check found they both had fatty livers, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, all symptoms related to obesity, the doctor said.

The couple, who were married five years ago, believe weight loss is essential to having a healthy baby. "We used to eat more than 1.5 kg (about three pounds) of meat for a dinner. We should not have indulged ourselves like that," Lin said.

Due to gastronomical indulgence and lack of exercise, the couple's weight nearly doubled during the past five years.

Lin lost his job as a welder for his increasingly clumsy body and Deng has avoided shopping for fear of ridicule. "If we want a hug, we have to bend down, or our bellies would bump first," Lin said.

A report published by the National Health and Family Planning Commission in June showed that 30 percent of China's adults and nearly 10 percent of its children are overweight and its growth rate of the overweight population is higher than those of developed countries.