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In an interesting new take on the Cabbage Patch Kid craze of the 1990s the teens say their veggies are the perfect companions.

Less cuddly than a dog but in need of no pooper scooping, the teens have been seen "walking" their edible pets to school each morning.

The youngsters drag their cabbages in public in hope of finding fellow cruciferous comrades to befriend.

"It's not about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend, just about having someone to talk to and share things with, a statement of youth isolated in the big cities," said Chinese psychiatrist, Wen Chao, 56, about the weird phenomenon.

"The idea is simple – you feel as lonely and as simple as a cabbage, so you begin to act like one and befriend one. And in that acceptance comes change."

A group of teens were recently photographed out and about with their legumes at a music festival in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Lui Ja Chen, 17, one of the cabbage walking youths, said: "I feel I can transfer my negative thoughts about myself to the cabbage, go for a walk with it and come home feeling better about myself.

"If I see someone else it's easy to start up a conversation with them about their cabbage, and they are better than dogs as they don't bark, or start fights with other cabbages. It doesn't even need feeding, or leave a mess on the pavement.

"In fact afterwards, I can throw the cabbage away and feel that I have tossed my feelings out with it."

Another cabbage walker, Da-Xia Sung, also 17, said: "I have more interest for my cabbage than I do my parents. I feel it understands me."

Doctors are worried that the teens are forgoing regular human contact in favour of the mute vegetables and growing unhealthily close to their new "pets".

In what could be a worrying result of China's brutal one-child policy kids with no siblings are obviously going to the extreme in their quest for friendship.

"At the end of the day someone real to talk to is much healthier," said Wen Chao.

Well at least they're getting their five a day..