Why do you think we are not enforcing appearance standards? By that I mean and target the overweight and overweight looking in uniform.

AR 600-9 just got updated and rechristened as the Army Body Composition Program.  The standard did not change; the only parts revised where the admin portion of being on the ABCP and a clarification for taping procedures.
This is where the problem lies:  The standard is the body fat percentage tape test and not physical fitness/appearance.  There are a lot of people whom no one should see naked who are within the standard and some that do not meet the standard and blow me away at the APFT.
Thus, if a Soldier looks like they're fat and the command directed tape doesn't say sp; that's tough cookies.

On another note:  A lot of people are getting away with being in gross violation of the standard due to the good ol' boy system and some leaders honestly being afraid of the ABCP and telling somebody that they're fat.

The AWCP is going back to the way it used to be. I know when I tried to put people out for the APFT or AWCP the highers were the ones that would not let it go through, even though they never passed an APFT since they was at the unit along with the AWCP. They said that we need to put them in the remedial training and get them to pass. They were in that program for more than 2 years and was still getting the same answer. I think some highers do not do it because they think it makes them look bad. I am a firm believer if a Soldier does not want to improve and no matter what you do to help push them come closer to the go, they won't budge. Like the saying say you can take a horse to water but you can not make him drink. Now that the Army is downsizing I do believe it will go back to normal. On the other hand as others has said it if someone looks like they are over weight the command can get them to get tested to make sure and as long as they pass they are good. I am not a fan of the tape system because I get tapped every time come close within two percent each time and then you get the ones that are twice to three times the size of me come under 5% because how big their neck is. They need to go to the accurate type of body fat measurement, yes it would take longer but it would be closer to what actually body fat the person is.

I truly believe it's because we've turned into such a PC and excepting society that people feel as if they will not be judged. Many areas in life that were once deemed unsavory are now common place because we're worried about everyone's feelings. Back in the day a man even the poor ones wore a dress shirt or jacket when out and about town. Now they wear pajama pants and what not. Teen pregnancy was not rampant because fear of judgment kept numbers down. There are too many reasons to list for people being overweight, but I do know many are looked down upon for judging the overweight.

There are weight standards in the Military..its the leadership function to enforce. It seems to me when all you are doing is standing down or getting ready for deployments with smaller amounts of soldiers,  time for leadership enforcement gets overwhelmed by mission acomplishment.

Because chaptering someone out of the Army has become such a nightmare of paperwork and administrative BS that falls squarely on the unit, burdening them with additional work and responsibility. If the Army could streamline the exit process, we could easily make the cuts they're asking for.

Well first off, the entire height/weight taping metrics are off. The Joes have been complaining about that for years! An obviously fit Soldier can fail tape and watch a fat body pass to Army standard right behind him.

Second, when these requirements are not met it is still up to local command to enforce and act on it. Sometimes they just ignore it, other times they retain a Soldier because his skills and knowledge are just that useful. Ability won't protect them forever though. Some commands will work with an individual and try to help him pass. Others are straight by the regs and begin outprocessing after consecutive failures.

Personnally, I think the Army would see a lot of improvement if they: 1) improve the quality of food at the DFACs instead of forcing them to sign in to check the block, 2) release them from their duty day with enough time to hit the gym, and 3) fix the height/weight system!
You can get rid of the fat bodies still left after that.

The entire idea of having Hieght and Weight Standards, if I recall correctly, didnt even come about until the 1970s. The entire reasoning behind it was more FITNESS them appearance. There were service members who used seniority to weasel out of PT. There were also the special little snowflakes that hid out in the admin offices or the tech shops when PT time rolled around.
Establishing Hieght and Weight Standards gave commands an added tool to get rid of service members who weren't physically fit.
Generally Hieght and Weight standards work hand in hand with fitness. A service member who doesnt meet HT and Weight Standards usually doesnt do well on PT tests, if they pass them at all.
In my opinion, there has to be more common sense applied when citing Ht/Wt standards. The FITNESS of the Individual, not their appearance, needs to be the deciding factor.
Some people due to genetics and ethnicity will never fit into the prescribed standards, however they will score high class PFTS.
Ive seen guys who were 5'10 and 220lbs run 300 PFTs. yet they were 30 pounds "overweight". Even the body weight measurements can't measure fitness.

People not enforcing the standards have a created a "new standard". It's that simple.

There are soldiers who appear to look big but when they are taped, they pass!   Some of these soldiers are the best soldiers out there who are getting 250 plus on a PT tests, acquiring college classes and who come to work on time.  Be careful on who gets the boot and who gets to stay in.

Being fit and your uniform being sharp sends a clear message about us and let's the civilian population know we care about our country,  beyond just words.