How to Keep Things in Moderation

In Your Life

Cell Phones

Nine out of 10 Americans use them. Despite no definitive evidence, rumors of health risks have continued to crop up. Recently a joint review published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology concluded that the radio-frequency waves emitted by cell phones could, in fact, be linked to a mild increased risk of brain tumors.

 The middle ground: “In general, the shorter the conversation, the smaller your exposure,” says Leeka I. Kheifets, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied the effects of cell-phone radiation. For calls lasting more than two minutes, use an earpiece or the phone’s speaker; this can cut wave exposure by 1,000 times. And when you have a weak signal, don’t make a call. Your body is subjected to a higher exposure when a phone has to boost its radio signal to get connected.