Locals in County Tipperary are protesting against plans to open a new McDonald’s restaurant due to fears over child obesity.

A number of Thurles residents are objecting after plans were lodged for the for the new McDonald's on land at the Slievenamon Road and Thurles Relief Road.

On Newstalk Breakfast, Thurles GP Dr Paul Ryan said he is objecting to the plans on "health grounds".

"For me, it's just another fast-food outlet that is swarming to our town and exposing people to unnecessary fast-food, which is a huge blight on our society," he said.

Dr Ryan said local children will be "most at risk" if a McDonald's opens in Thurles.

"If you can protect children from obesogenic food, then you’re going to have healthier lifestyles in the future," he said.

Fast food exposure

He said the proposed McDonald's is within 100m of a creche and a DEIS school.

"In this kind of environment, we should be encouraging healthy eating and more appropriate eating habits and you're not going to get that if you expose people to fast food," he said.

Dr Ryan said he is concerned about the "temporary satiety" fast food offers.

"Within an hour of eating it, you're hungry for more," Dr Ryan said.

McDonald's response

In a statement, McDonald's said they are "excited" to open a new restaurant in Thurles as they say it will bring "new jobs and significant investment" to the area.

McDonald's also addressed concerns about nutrition in the statement.

"We've been providing nutritional information on our menu for 30 years and continue to evolve our menu to ensure customers can make informed decisions," the statement said.

McDonald's said 54% of their menu is now classified as non-high in fat, salt and sugar.

The restaurant also said 89% of items on the core menu contain less than 500 calories.

"McDonald's prides itself on being a good neighbour to the communities it works in," McDonald's said.

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