Violet Hall

Cohorts: Teens-20s, 20s-30s

Condition: RED-S

Snapshot

Name: Violet Hall
Age range: 22
Life stage: Undergraduate university student, transitioning from structuredhome/school environment to independent living
Location: Exeter (uni)
Occupation: Full-time student; part-time agency work occasionally
Relationship and family context: Lives with housemates in shared studentaccommodation; close to family but now physically independent; social lifecentered around friends, sport, and uni network

Health Context

Relevant condition(s): Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-s)
Density of condition(s): Moderate / high risk among female athletes
Key symptoms experienced: Fatigue, reduced performance, irregular ormissed menstrual cycles, frequent injuries, poor recovery, low mood, difficultyconcentrating, feeling cold
Severity and duration: Gradual onset over months to a couple of years;symptoms fluctuate but progressively worsen without intervention
Diagnosed or suspected: Suspected rather than formally diagnosed; may notrecognise it as RED-s
Current treatments or management: elf-managed; inconsistent eatingpatterns; occasional supplementation; no structured clinical management
Comorbidities or related factors: Disordered eating behaviours (notnecessarily diagnosed eating disorder), anxiety around body image, possibleiron deficiency, stress, alcohol use interfering with nutrition and recovery

Triggers and barriers

Main triggers that worsen symptoms: Increased training load without dietaryadjustment and skipping meals due to time constraints or lack of planning,body image pressures (social media, peer comparison)
Barriers to seeking care: Lack of awareness that symptoms are medicallysignificant, normalisation of fatigue/injury as “part of being an athlete/unistudent”, fear of weight gain, stigma around eating habits and performanceissues
Information gaps and misconceptions: Belief eating less will make physiquebetter, misinterpreting menstrual irregularity (maybe even enjoying not havingperiods), lack of awareness of long term consequences
Emotional drivers and concerns: fear of weight gain and control loss, bodyimage anxieties, not voicing concern

Goals and needs

Primary health goals: Restore energy balance and regular physiologicalfunction (hormonal, menstrual, recovery), and improve athletic performanceand endurance
Secondary lifestyle goals: Maintain social life without feeling restricted, feel incontrol of routines without rigid dieting
What “better” looks like to them: Stable energy throughout the day, improvedtraining performance and recovery, ability to eat flexibly without anxiety,feeling mentally clearer, less irritable, and more balanced

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