Donald A. Gorske (born November 28, 1953) of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin is an American world record holder and "Big Mac enthusiast". He came to prominence for having eaten over 23,000 Big Mac hamburgers from the U.S. fast food chain McDonald's in his lifetime, [1] subsequently winning a place in the 2006 Guinness Book of Records. He claims the Big Mac constitutes 90% of his total solid food intake. He is featured in the documentaries Super Size Me (2004) and Don Gorske: Mac Daddy (2005). He is the author of 22,477 Big Macs (2008).
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History
Gorske claims that after getting his first car, the first place he went was to McDonald's on May 17, 1972[1] he purchased and ate three Big Macs at lunch time. He then returned two more times that day to consume a total of nine Big Macs the same day he discovered the sandwich. He further claims to have eaten 265 Big Macs in the following month, an average of 8.5 Big Macs per day. If true, this would be equivalent to over 4,600 calories and 247 grams of fat daily, for a total of 143,100 calories and 16.9 pounds of fat in one month. He also claims to drink almost nothing but Coca-Cola and, according to Super Size Me, he rarely eats the fries. At first, Don kept all the boxes of Big Macs he ate in the back of his car.
In 2003, Don Gorske ate 741 Big Macs, an average of 2.03 Big Macs per day. Gorske is 6 foot 2 inches tall, 185 pounds, and claims a cholesterol level of 140. His claimed average daily consumption of two Big Macs amounts to 1,080 calories, according to the nutritional information published by McDonald's[2]; this does not take into account his energy intake from fluids. The USDA recommends about 2,200 calories per day.[3] Gorske consumes mainly calorie-rich food, and he maintains a stable weight by eating fewer calories than the average American.
On August 17, 2008, Gorske ate his 23,000th Big Mac at his favorite McDonald's restaurant in Fond du Lac.[1] He claims that since he ate his first Big Mac, there have only been eight different days in which he did not eat a single Big Mac. One of these days was the day his mother died, and he did not eat a Big Mac to respect her request.[1] Other days included a "Snow Day" when McDonalds was unable to open due to snow, a Thanksgiving, days he was traveling and could not find a McDonalds, and various days Gorske had to stay at work past midnight. Gorske has since started keeping an "emergency stash" of Big Macs in his freezer for emergencies and snow days.[4] Don Gorske also records when and where he eats his Big Macs in a notebook that he carries with him all of the time. Gorske has kept every burger receipt in a box.[1]
Appearances
Appearing in the documentary Super Size Me, Gorske claims in 1984 he was once paid $5 to eat a Whopper. He ate the Whopper, then took the money and used it to purchase a Big Mac at a nearby McDonald's. In the DVD extras for the film, it is revealed he works as a prison guard. He also makes a 'cameo' in cartoon form in the film.
In 2006, Gorske appeared as a contestant on the game show "I've Got a Secret." Celebrity panelist Billy Bean was able to guess the Big Mac as Gorske's food of choice.
On May 25, 2009, Gorske was featured on the Rachael Ray Show.
References
- ^ a b c d e "Man says he's eaten 23,000 Big Macs since 1972". Associated Press. 2008-09-09. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_UN7zk8q7YkN6xt2t7q5Vxzk1-AD9335I6G0. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ McDonald's USA Nutrition Information
- ^ FoodReview, Winter 2002, Volume 25, Issue 3
- ^ "A BIG, Big Mac habit". CNN. 1997-05-20. http://www.cnn.com/US/9705/20/burger.devotion/. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
External links
- Man gets Big Mac attack — 23,000 times September, 2008
- Big Mac eater downs 19,000th burger March, 2003
- Man Eats His 18,000th Big Mac: Keeps Extra Supply In Freezer November, 2001
- Spotlight on Gorske July 18, 2004
- Wisconsin man eats 23,000 Big Macs September 9, 2008
- Amazon: 22,477 Big Macs August, 2009
- Don Gorske at the Internet Movie Database
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