An item of cultural expression that has been selected is Channel 4’s
Food Secrets. The show is packed with abundant information relating
to food. The subject is directly linked to the topic of health and
wellness. The host, Kate Quilton, answers some of the fundamental
questions about food that make the viewers ponder about healthy
eating habits.& Maintaining a good nutritional status by adopting
healthy eating habits is vital for maintaining normal functions of the
body (Muscaritoli, 2021). The lack of necessary nutritional
requirements can adversely affect one’s health and wellness, including
physical and mental health (Firth et al., 2020). The cultural expression
that has been selected is associated with food that is interlinked with
wellness.
The fundamental social message that the chosen cultural expression
communicates about wellness revolves around the food that people
consume. The specific expression has been selected since it concerns
food which is of high relevance for every individual. There are times
when people do not give much thought to what they eat, the calories
that they intake and adopting healthy ways of cooking. However,
Quilton in the show broadens the perspective of viewers by uncovering
a broad range of food secrets, including the good, the bad as well as the
ugly. The message that she wants to convey to the audience is that
people need to eat right and make conscious choices about what they
eat and how they eat so that they can lead a healthy life. Some of the
key topics that have been covered in the selected cultural expression
include how to cook vegetables, the best food for breakfast, the best
kind of fruit, the health benefits of chocolates and many more. Food
intake has a direct and significant association with wellness (Holder,
2019). Hence the show on food is of paramount importance and is
highly relevant to the wellness topic.
The chief social implication of the message is that people need to adopt
healthy eating practices to lead a quality and healthy life. In current
times when a broad range of food options are available such as vegan
food, fast food, etc., it is essential to give top priority to give
importance to one’s health so that informed decisions can be made
about what to consume. A broad range of factors might come into play
that may impact what a person eats, such as health conditions, the need
to gain or reduce weight, etc. However, it is imperative to have a
thorough understanding of food so that appropriate decisions can be
made that can contribute to an individual’s health, wellness and well-
being. The knowledge can help to make appropriate decisions about
what to eat and how to eat so that the quality of health can get better.
The social implications of the message can give rise to implications at
the micro and macro level. Healthy food habits can ensure people lead
a healthy life and can function and perform to their maximum
potential. On the other hand, poor and uninformed food habits by
people can make them vulnerable and increase the burden on health
systems.&
References
Firth, J., Gangwisch, J. E., Borsini, A., Wootton, R. E., & Mayer, E. A.
(2020). Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental
wellbeing?.&Bmj,&369.
Holder, M. D. (2019). The contribution of food consumption to well-
being.&Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism,&74(2), 44-52.
Muscaritoli, M. (2021). The impact of nutrients on mental health and well-
being: Insights from the literature.&Frontiers in Nutrition, 97.
