You may be able to blame your expanding waist on something other than the penny candies in the cafeteria or the fact that you haven't worked out since the original "Star Wars" was released. Here's what else can add jiggle to your middle:

1. Your mom: You're probably thinking we're saying that her cooking skills made you learn the location of every fast food place near home. But we're not going there. Studies show that the older your mom was when she gave birth, the more likely you are to be fatter. That means you need to be more vigilant about watching plate size and learning the whereabouts of fitness clubs or walking paths.

2. Your mate: People who choose fat mates often become fatter. That doesn't do your kids any favors, either (that increases the odds you'll produce an even fatter child). We're not in the matchmaking business, but it's worth noting that the best place to meet a mate isn't at the burger joint. Try a gym if you want to keep seeing your feet.

3. The fact that you haven't finished painting the garage. Chronic stress from unfinished tasks triggers an ancient response of calorie accumulation. Unremitting stress increases hormones that jack up your appetite (and not for vegetables). You store that fat in your omentum, which pumps additional chemicals into your system and creates a chain reaction of inflammation that makes you eat more.

But no matter what piles weight on, two things can take it off: You. And a buddy who's helping you. Commit, and get younger and thinner every week.

The YOU Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of "YOU: The Owner's Manual." Want more? See "The Dr. Oz Show" on TV (check local listings). To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.

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