01/11/2024

Friends of Franz Podcast S3 E6: No Spoonful of Sugar-coating with Dr. Sheila Pérez-Colón (Elite Endocrine MD)

According to the 1964 Mary Poppins children's film, "just a spoonful of sugar" is said to make the medicine go down. But what if we say that those daily spoons of sweetness may actually result in the need for kids to take medication? According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 30 million people in the United States alone in 2021 were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, Types I and II combined, with 352,000 of these being under the age of 20. Diabetes is a chronic condition influenced by the body's inability to either produce the insulin hormone or effectively utilize it. Truly, hormones and their balance influence the optimal functioning of the human body, especially in the youth. According to the American Board of Pediatrics, if left untreated, diabetes and other leading chronic diseases influenced by hormones, such as obesity, can lead to detrimental health concerns, such as cardiovascular disease and mortality. Endocrinology is the complex field of hormones and their equilibrium, and there is no space for sugarcoating in this domain.

We are joined in this episode by Dr. Sheila Pérez-Colón, a New York-trained board-certified pediatric endocrinologist based in Puerto Rico. Having moved back to Puerto Rico to serve her homeland, she currently stands as the Owner of Elite Endocrine MD, a direct specialty care practice that focuses on pediatric diabetes, obesity management, thyroid disorders, and pubertal disorders.