Diet and Diet Reform Gandhiji's interest in food arises partly from his concern for those around him. When he took to public life he had a group of followers and their children living with him. He held himself responsible for their well-being. Naturally, therefore, when any of them fell ill he had to see what could be done to restore them to health. He did not wish to use drugs if he could help it, as he believed they were injurious to the human system. He was convinced that disease was due to some maladjustment in the system, and that all that was necessary to overcome it was to help nature to rectify the wrong. A fruitful way to aiding nature to do this and maintaining he body in health, he believed, was through proper diet. He therefore became involved in research on Diet.