Carrick is fast food hot spot, study shows

Carrickfergus has been listed as one of the top fast food hot spots in Northern Ireland, according to a new study.

By Stephen Gamble

Published 22nd Jul 2015, 13:13 BST

The investigation by an online pharmacy (treated.com) analysed the presence of major fast food brands - McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Domino’s, Subway and Costa Coffee - across the province’s largest towns and cities.

By comparing the number of outlets to the population, it revealed Carrick was the fourth worst offending town in the province. It had 5 restaurants - averaging 0.18 stores per 1,000 people.

That included two Subways, one KFC, one McDonald’s and one Domino’s, for a population of just over 27,000. Unsurprisingly, Belfast, with around 334,000 inhabitants, had the highest overall number of fast food restaurants with a total of 55.

The study comes amid major concerns about the obesity crisis that is growing in Northern Ireland.