BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AFP) — For weeks, 33-year-old civil servant Aizaratbek Esenov and around half a dozen other government employees have been exercising in front of cameras for a reality TV show in Kyrgyzstan.

Broadcast nationwide, they run, swim and train together, all with the aim of getting their bodies physically able to take part in the amateur Asia Triathlon Cup this autumn.

It may sound like a bizarre premise, but for the government — which is sponsoring the show — the goal is serious: to encourage Kyrgyz viewers to live healthier.

Over a quarter of adults in the central Asian country are obese, while fewer than one in four practise a sport, according to official statistics. The program, named “New Path,” is part of a government-led push to tackle the problem.

“At first it was hard, I couldn’t run and I was short of breath,” Esenov told Agence France-Presse, adding that he was used to “sitting in front of a computer from morning till night.”

But since starting six weeks ago, “I’ve been losing weight, getting into shape and feel better,” he said, adding he had lost five kilograms so far.

His coach, Igor Izmailov, makes sure the group stay consistent and keeps up with training.

“This project will serve as an example to those who do not take up sport and lead a sedentary life,” he said.

“Maybe all this will inspire them,” he added.

Since taking office six years ago, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has made sport a key pillar of government policy, creating a separate state agency aimed at developing “physical culture.”

The 57-year-old graduated from a sporting college following the collapse of the Soviet Union and has been keen to lead by example, appearing in photo shoots skiing or playing football.