Ms Nicola Sheridan:

As previously highlighted by my colleague, our team in Temple Street treat children who are clinically obese. To explain this further, the average nine year old in Ireland weighs 34 kg, that is 5 stone 5 lb. The average nine year old attending our clinic is 55 kg, or 8 stone 9 lb. In keeping with the ICGP and HSE algorithm for childhood obesity management, all the children referred to our centre are clinically obese. In the past 14 years since inception, we have treated over 1,500 children with obesity. Specifically, between 2014 and 2018 we have had over 4000 attendances. In 2017, 49% of patients were aged under ten years, 29% were 11 to 13 years and 22% were 14 years or older.

Treatment is provided in line with current best practice guidelines and patients are offered group-based family treatment or individualised treatment, based on the health care needs of the child. Over the past four years, we have seen rates of non-attendances reduce and rates of attendance increase. Providing services to children and adolescents presenting with a range of complications is challenging because 40% already have risk factors for heart disease, 17% meet the criteria for having the metabolic syndrome, 40% have significant and severe mental health problems, and 75% have experienced bullying, with 11% experiencing severe bullying. Unfortunately, a number of the children seen have a history of self-harm or suicidal intent. These children have complex needs and as we know from other EU experiences they require access to the paediatric specialties. Over 40% are from deprived to severely deprived areas and rates of homelessness have become more common. As such, we are seeing at first hand the effects of inequality on health outcomes for these children.