There are ways to limit weight gain, said Old Rochester Regional Food Service Director Caitlyn Meagher.

On March 21, Meagher gave a presentation at Rochester Memorial School on how hormones work inside the body, the effects of sleep deprivation and nutrition’s role in learning.

Meagher, a graduate of Framingham State University, became Food Service Director for the district in September 2011.

Since then she said she has been working on providing better nutrition in the schools.

It all starts with the hormones in our body, she said.

“Our hormones can do a number of things, including regulating hunger,” Meagher said. “They can work beautifully if all is working well.”

When not working properly, hormones can lead to weight gain, she said.

The “stress hormone,” cortisol, can increase metabolism.

The problem with cortisol is that we are in a state of “chronic stress,” which can lead to high blood pressure and risk of heart attack or stroke, Meagher said.

“Our bodies cannot tell the difference between a hard day at work and running a 5-mile race,” she said.

“Because we are constantly under stress, cortisol doesn’t stop working. This can lead to fat gain and it lowers the activity of the immune system. In modern times the stress level is chronic. We’re a stressed population.”

Other hormones, such as leptin, work to regulate our food intake. Leptin tells our bodies when they have had enough food.

With obesity, leptin begins to slow down appetite control, she said.  When this happens our bodies cannot register when they have had enough to eat, and can eat uncontrollably.

“Our bodies are designed to regulate hormones,” she said.

“They work right to tell us if we are hungry or full, and we just need to listen to them.”

To balance out our hormones, it takes more than just eating more protein and less sugar. People need a full night sleep, Meagher said.

“There is clearly a relationship between sleep and our weight,” Meagher said. “I think it’s something we don’t really think about.”

With students, sleep is critical to their ability to retain information and function at a high level, she said.

To combat sleep deprivation, Meagher said everyone should go to bed and get up at the same times every day, as well as have 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

If you’re stressed, try writing in a journal. This, she said, can make you calmer before going to bed.

Meagher said it is also critical that students eat a well-rounded breakfast every morning.

Start with eating more proteins and fats and eating less carbohydrates and sugars.

In studies it has been shown that students who do eat a better breakfast can produce higher test scores, have better attendance, more energy and be more alert, she said.

“I always say include a variety,” Meagher said. “You want to have three food groups: protein keeps the children satisfied until snack, a beverage avoids dehydration and refuel with a mid-morning snack.”

Meagher said that all of the meals served in Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester have no more than 30 percent of the daily-recommended intake of calories, and have zero grams of trans fat.

The schools also provide a gluten-free option to students.

In the future, Meagher said she would like to see more locally grown foods in the schools.

The students of Rochester Memorial School have a head start.

They will be growing vegetables that the school’s staff can serve during lunch.

“We’re possibly thinking of offering an organic lunch option, but of course to change this, it would cost more money,” she said.

“I’d love to start working with more local produce and increase the nutritional value of the meals. We try to please everybody, and we want the kids to eat the food instead of throwing it away.”