Deadly Beauty tells the “Story of a girl, Who lost her world, So she could be beautiful.” Now singers Alexa and Natalee Falk, music duo from Logan, Utah join Paula Abdul, Jenni Schaefer, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and others who are NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) ambassadors, people who have agreed to use their celebrity to generate awareness of eating disorders.
Alexa and Natalee, who grew up in the music industry, have found their genuine voice and are garnering national attention for their song Deadly Beauty, which is dedicated to young women struggling with eating disorders and the family members who worry about them.
Junior high and high school years were difficult for the Falk sisters, who were homeschooled and often rejected by other students and even adults. It was especially hard for Alexa, who struggled with bulimia and low self-esteem in her teens.
“I really turned on myself and became self-destructive,” says Alexa, who worked with counselors for treatment, but says it was only when she went to college that she realized how serious her condition was and was able to change. “I was lucky enough to turn it around. When I was 16, I wrote ‘Deadly Beauty’ as a way to help other girls going through the same experiences.”
“Watching my sister struggle with an eating disorder when we were younger greatly influenced my perception of what I thought life was supposed to be,” adds Natalee. “I sort of lost my own identity and over the years I’ve had to re-establish myself.”
Alexa entered the “Deadly Beauty” in the 2007 CosmoGirl songwriting contest and won most favored song by the readers. The Falk sisters have performed the song across the country and were invited to present it and their message at NEDA’s third annual NYC NEDA Walk in October 2011.
“They really strike a chord with kids that suffer from eating disorders,” said Lynn Grefe, of NEDA. “Eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness. This song really gets to the heart of the matter.”
The song resonated with walk attendees who felt it perfectly expressed the pain they felt watching their daughters also struggle with eating disorders. “It was the most humbling reaction I’d ever received after a performance,” Alexa says. “I had victims and family members come up and tell me how much the song affected them. I had dads come to me crying, saying how much the music touched them. I learned from that experience that music is something that can heal.”
As NEDA ambassadors, the girls will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., in February; Orlando, Fla., in March; and New York City in April to perform “Deadly Beauty” and connect with people across the country. They have also been asked to speak about their experiences with eating disorders, both as a survivor and as a family member, during NEDA’s annual benefit dinner in New York.
For Treatment Referrals, Visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org
Or Contact NEDA’s Live Helpline: 800-931-2237
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST)
Philadelphia eating disorder programs:
Belmont Center
Brandywine Center
Renfrew Center
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