THE HSE spent €116,822 on renting oversized beds for overweight patients in a 27-month period, the Herald has learned.
Some 61 patients have undergone weight-loss surgery to cope with their obesity problem since 2011.
The HSE revealed, under the Freedom of Information Act, that 26 operations to reduce weight were carried out in 2011, a further 22 last year and 13 this year so far.
Children
Most of the procedures were carried out at St Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, but some were also carried out at St Vincent's in Dublin.
A study by Safefood found that 37pc of Irish adults are overweight and a further 24pc obese.
One in 10 children under the three in poorer areas are obese.
The cost of treating obesity here runs to about €1.13bn in direct and indirect costs.
More than a third is for healthcare and the rest is for indirect costs like absenteeism.
csheehy@herald.ie