The Global Uprising Against Poverty Wages
Historian Annelise Orleck traveled to Mexico, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, plus all across America, to interview low-wage workers fighting for better conditions and pay.
Fast Food
Fewer Fast Food Outlets Does Not Mean Thinner People
Evidence points to a failed attempt at social engineering.
Is the Chipotle Narrative Coming to an End?
What the company can learn from its recent E. coli outbreak.
The Future of Work: Making Service Work Pay
The latest entry in a special project in which business and labor leaders, social scientists, technology visionaries, activists, and journalists weigh in on the most consequential changes in the workplace.
How Americans' Views of McDonald's Changed Over the Years
Researchers have long documented problems with McDonald's, but it wasn't until they began showing how the restaurants aimed at children and made people overweight that the American public paid attention.
Is It Time to Swap That Energy Bar for a Big Mac?
A new study finds that eating fast food after a workout is just as good for you as a PowerBar.
Fast Food Companies Are Breaking Their Own Pledges About How They Advertise to Kids
Newer fast food ads all show healthy foods, but the fruits and veggies are drowned out by everything else.
The Changing Demographics of Fast-Food Workers
The recent strikes show just how untenable the current makeup of the fast-food labor force really is.
Study: Exposure to McDonald's, Fast-Food Logos Make Us More Impatient
Researchers report exposure to fast-food logos lessens our ability to slow down and savor life’s pleasures.
The Affordable Calorie Act: Obamacare's Anti-Obesity Tactic
Will an Obamacare anti-obesity tactic make things worse?
Chipotle's Choice: A Shift Away From Responsibly Raised Beef
For a company that markets itself by lambasting the industrial food system, Chipotle's offerings are starting to look a lot like many other fast-food chains out there, complete with growth hormones, feedlots, GMOs, and more.
Can We Expect to See the Dollar Menu Devalued?
Cheap burgers may be eating into franchisees' bottom lines, a welcome development for the fast-food scolds out there.
Calm Down and Step Away From the Burger
A new study links trans fats – already under fire for a variety of dietary ills – with grouchiness.
For Americans, Mobility Breeds Uniformity
Researchers argue the much-decried homogenization of America is, in part, a product of our residential mobility.
Some People Do Heed Fast-Food Calorie Data
Does nutrition information help diners make wise decisions in fast-food restaurants? The latest study finds it does with some people — but that’s still a net benefit to society.
Evidence Menu Labels Don't Affect Calorie Consumption
The latest look at fast-food menu labeling suggests it's not changing attitudes at the counter, but experts hope it may make a difference earlier in the decision chain.
Soda Taxes May Not Work As Advertised
A new study finds only the middle class — not the rich or the poor — are likely to change their behavior with a soda tax.
Information Inspires Healthier Food Choices For Children
Research shows that nutritional information about fast food inspires parents to make healthier choices for their kids.
Would You Like Nutrition Info With That?
A new study suggests that no one really looks at the nutritional information that fast-food outlets are being urged to — or forced to — paste on their walls.