Final answer:
The NCEP/ATP III treatment protocol includes therapeutic lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise as a preliminary measure, often before proceeding to medications or surgical interventions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The step of the NCEP/ATP III 9 Step treatment panel that includes initiating therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) is not explicitly numbered in the provided information. However, TLC generally involves dietary changes, exercise, and weight management to reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease. TLC are commonly one of the initial treatments recommended before considering medical treatment such as cholesterol lowering medications, beta-blockers, or surgical interventions like angioplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).