A woman walks on the National Mall in Washington DC on August 13, 2010. Obesity in the United States has increased to 2.4 million obese Americans since 2007, according to a report released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). UPI/Alexis C. Glenn | License Photo

Australia has moved forward with a tax on fatty food, according to Medical Daily.

The tax plan, put together by the Obesity Policy Coalition in Australia, limits the percentage of saturated fat in foods.


The fat tax will apply to all foods that contain more than 2.3 percent saturated fat, including oils, meats, cheeses and processed foods.

Overweight Australians are 63 percent of the population, and Obesity Policy Coalition spokesperson Jane Martin said that previous policies encouraging physical activity did not decrease the amount of obese people -- it just stabilized the rate.

The money from the tax will go toward lowering the price of healthy foods.