Bigger first communion outfits needed as Irish children get heavier

Retailers in Ireland who sell First Communion outfits are having to stock more made-to-order oversized clothing for the increasing number of obese children, according to the Evening Herald.

More boys are wearing trousers with waists of up to 38 inches, while many girls now need dresses with a 48-inch chest-size.

"Certainly 10 years ago, everyone could fit into regular-sized outfits and it was very rare to see a child who was obese. But things have changed dramatically since then,” said Doris Healy, who runs The Sisters in Tallaght, a Communion costume retailers.

"A few years ago I started to notice we were having problems, because girls were coming in and we just didn't have dresses big enough for them to fit into.

"The same was the case for boys. We didn't have big enough trousers for them.

"Every year, we have to order bigger sizes and more of them to accommodate the customers."

Healy said that 20 percent of her sales are from oversized clothing.

It is believed that 23% of boys and 28% of girls on the island are either overweight or obese.