Abstract

Previous research has looked into how stress affects diet, but not how diet affects stress. We looked into the variety and quality of diets and its association within our stress response. An anonymous online survey was administered through Google Forms. The survey was sent out to the public across several social media platforms, including Instagram, Groupme, and Facebook. The survey included basic demographic questions and questions on diet and mental health. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 25.0. There is an association between poor diet and a negative perception of stress. The results display the majority of participants have a slightly negative outlook on stress while consuming a Western diet. This suggests that a better balanced diet may lead to a decrease in negative perceptions of stress and improve outlook on life.