Aim The aim of the study was to determine the affect of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) acceptance of illness, emotional distress, depression on nutritional status, life quality. Methods This study was conducted in 145 type 2 DM, 73 males and 72 females, ranging in age from 20-65 years. The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) for the determination of individuals’ acceptance of the illness, Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) Scale for emotional distress, Beck Depression Scale (BDS) for depression, Short Form-36 (SF-36) scales for quality of life and Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) for diet quality was used. Results: The mean score of individuals’ AIS were 30.2±5.62. Compared to women, men had lower emotional distress and depression levels (p<0.05), higher physical, mental life quality (p<0.001). The mean score of individuals’ HEI-2010 were 54.8±12.85 and more than half of the individuals had diet quality required to be improved. Models that were emotional distress and SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) with acceptance of illness (F(2, 142)=58.404); AIS, BDS and age (years) with emotional distress (F(3, 141)=53.174); emotional distress and SF-36 MCS with depression status (F(2, 142)=82.029); acceptance of illness and depression status with SF-36 MCS (F(2, 142)=70.937); emotional distress and depression status with SF-36, Physical Component Summary (PCS) (F(2, 142)=42.926) were statistically significant (p=0.000). Also, correlations among AIS, PAID Scale, BDS, SF-36 were found to be significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: The presence of diabetes does not require to have different nutritional habit on individuals without diabetes. Although the diet quality of individuals with type 2 DM is not primarily related to the individual’s acceptance of the illness, emotional distress, depression status and quality of life, the status of medical nutrition as a part of medical treatment by the individual is one of the important criteria in determining the priorities in diabetes management.