Eating meat 'will make you lie, steal and commit sex crimes': Vegetarian advice for 11-year-olds in Indian school textbook

Eating meat diet will make you lie, steal and commit sex crimes, according to one rather odd school textbook book in India

The pros and cons of a diet including meat may be the subject of debate for nutritionists, but one Indian school textbook has made its position very clear – eating meat will make you lie, steal and commit sex crimes.



The unusual moral guidance appeared in a school book for 11-year-olds, supposedly offering education on issues from health and hygiene to sex education and exercise, Indian news channel NDTV reported.



On a page about non-vegetarians, the book said that they ‘easily cheat, tell lies, they forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes’.



It also claimed that 'it is the waste products which largely produce the flavour of meat', and praised the Japanese for their vegetarian diet, failing to mention their love of seafood.



The book’s marriage advice was also questionable, suggesting women should find a husband between the ages of 18 and 25.



'To get married without a bad name is a dream of every young girl,' it said.



NDTV said the text was published by printing company S Chand, while the chief of India’s Central Board for Secondary Education said books were chosen by individual schools and not monitored for content.

Despite a strong culture of vegetarianism and a religious taboo over beef-eating, Indians are consuming more and more meat as the country’s economy grows and consumers become better-travelled.

