Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered police officers in his country to get fit and lose weight in “three to six months”, according to Uzbek media reports.

While Mirziyoyev has received significant international attention for his focus on reforms to open up Uzbekistan to foreign investment, his domestic and social policies remain stereotypical of the region. Similar orders from the president have included banning traditionally costly big Uzbek weddings. Similar policies are common in neighbouring Tajikistan.

Human Rights Watch has previously noted that the Uzbek president’s authoritarian approach to solving social issues may not deliver the best solutions. This is especially relevant as the country continues to advertise its liberalisation abroad.

"We have no need for an overweight police officer. How can they catch a criminal?" Mirziyoyev was quoted as saying.

"We are giving them a deadline: three to six months. During this time, they should get in shape and shed that extra weight," he added.

The president did not specify whether the government would take any action against officers who fail to meet the deadline.

Mirziyoyev has previously expressed concern over what he believes to be an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet among Uzbeks.

"Unfortunately, due to a lack of exercise, and poor nutrition, half of the population of Uzbekistan is overweight, 46 percent have high cholesterol, and 31 percent suffer from high blood pressure," he said in November.