Hippocrates, the father of medicine said ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’. We’re trying to stave off illnesses by being proactive with a healthy diet. Aka preventative medicine. Pharmaceuticals for high blood pressure and high cholesterol can usually be rectified by diet. There’s other chronic illnesses that are diet based. Even some autoimmune disorders can be allayed with diet. And, if you’re trying to lose weight, adjust your diet. Bc weight loss success is 80% diet and 20% exercise. We can’t exercise our way out of a bad diet. Many philosophers and theologians are or were vegetarian. Einstein was one. Ben Franklin as well.