Obese children at schools in Ireland may be subjected to severe bullying, new findings have suggested.

Temple Street Children's Hospital has revealed that more than one in ten overweight youngsters have experienced this form of victimisation.

A total of 312 children between the ages of 18 months and 16 years - all with a body mass index above 98 per cent on the Irish growth chart - have been seen by a childhood obesity treatment programme at the facility in the past five years.

It was shown that while 11 per cent of those seen as part of the W82GO! initiative reported severe bullying, 60 per cent admitted to psychological difficulties such as reductions in self-esteem and greater levels of depression.

Grace O'Malley, senior paediatric physiotherapist at the hospital - which cares for tens of thousands of children every year - said: "The programme includes fun sessions to improve the child's movement skills and boost his or her confidence in performing physical activity."

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