Nearly Half Of Western Australia Teams Have At Least One 'Unhealthy' Sponsor, Study Finds

A new study revealed 47.5% of Western Australia sporting teams have at least one "unhealthy" sponsor supporting them, with Aussie Rules football "the biggest culprit," according to Phil Hickey of WA TODAY. The research was carried out by the Curtin University-based Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA "in the first six months of this year." The study analyzed 61 clubs in WA including Aussie Rules, baseball, basketball, cricket, field hockey, netball, rugby union and soccer teams. There were "93 unhealthy sponsors identified, most of whom (64) sponsored a footy team." Nineteen unhealthy sponsors associated themselves with basketball, nine with cricket and one with soccer. Alcohol was the "most common unhealthy sponsor identified," followed by food and drink sponsors and gambling groups (WA TODAY, 7/20).