Newtownabbey is fast food hot spot, study shows

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

By The Newsroom

Published 22nd Jul 2015, 13:15 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 Newtownabbey was the eighth worst offending town in the province. It had 14 restaurants - averaging 0.16 stores per 1,000 people.

That included six Subways, three KFCs, two Burger Kings, two McDonald’s and one Costa Coffee for a population of just over 85,000. 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.