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The present thesis investigated the effects of a western diet (WD) on cell death and functional outcome following global ischemia in rats. Experiment 1 assessed the effects of a 60-day WD regimen on temperature, activity and glucose levels in normal rats. Experiment 2 evaluated the influence of a 60-day WD regimen on hippocampal CA1 injury and cognition following global ischemia. Results from experiment 1 revealed significant differences in activity levels only; animals fed the WD were less active than control diet animals. Results from experiment 2 suggested that a WD did not aggravate CA1 injury or behavioral deficits. The second portion of my thesis examined the effects of a 120-day WD regimen on stroke severity and cognition following global ischemia. Briefly, the surgical protocol used to induce a global ischemic insult did not produce consistent damage across all animals. Plausible reasons for this surgical variability and future directions are discussed.