Louisiana ranks fourth in the country for the highest adult obesity level.In addition to the high obesity rate, partaking in the wonderful cuisine leaves many others simply overweight and looking to shed a few pounds in a hurry.Prescription weight loss clinics in the area are numerous and the most common medicine prescribed for weight loss is classified as a controlled substance.After a WDSU producer obtained a prescription for phentermine, Dr. Michael Cook, director of bariatric surgery at University Medical Center, gave some tips on the safety of phentermine and weight loss in general.Cook said fad diets and crazy exercise routines are not the way to lose weight, and while the desire to shed pounds may leave some looking for a quick fix, it’s important to do your homework.“The best approach would be to get a prescription from somebody who is American Board of Obesity Medicine certified,” he said, but warned that there are few of those types of physicians in the area.Cook cautioned that choosing the wrong weight loss clinic could be hazardous.“You definitely have to closely monitor blood pressure if you’re taking that medication because it can drastically raise your blood pressure and it can affect your heart,” said Cook.Phentermine is a schedule four amphetamine-like drug.“It acts similar to adrenaline. It revs up your sympathetic nervous system, which increases your heart rate and boosts your metabolism as well as suppressing your appetite,” Cook said of the drug.Our producer went to a walk-in weight loss clinic and obtained the prescription with a cursory exam and no follow-up supervision. She also suffers from high blood pressure.Cook said phentermine and high blood pressure can be a dangerous combination.“At least be in a program where they’re going to look at more than one type of medication and look at your individual risk factors,” he advised.There are indications doctors utilize to see if the medication is right for an individual patient. Generally, physicians will only prescribe weight-loss drugs for patients with a body mass index of 30 or more.“That BMI 30 to 35 range, that might be the ideal range to intervene early,” Cook said.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if a patient has a BMI of 30 or higher, the patient is obese.Cook said if a patient wants to lose weight, regardless of BMI, there are some important factors to remember.He said of determining a weight loss plan, “We want to incorporate that within a comprehensive strategy where we’re looking at the whole patient.”“If you’re losing it too quickly, I get more concerned,” Cook said of looking for instant gratification in a diet plan. His advice is to take it slow and steady.“It starts with even just getting up and walking around and turning off electronic devices and going outside a little bit," he said.Cook also warned of trying to make too many changes all at once, “I like to get patients to find the one biggest thing for them and focus on that first.”