• 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. a
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.
