Don Gorske

Don Gorske
Gorske in 2006
Born	1953 or 1954 (age 70–71) Green Bay, Wisconsin,U.S.
Occupation	Retired correctional officer
Known for	Record holder of having eaten the mostBig Macs
Spouse	Mary Gorske ​ (m.1976)​
Children	1

Don Gorske(born 1953 or 1954)is an Americanworld recordholder known as the "ultimateBig Macfan, "having eaten over 34,128suchhamburgersfrom the U.S.fast foodchainMcDonald'sin his lifetime (as of March 2024), earning him a place in theGuinness Book of Records.A resident ofFond du Lac, Wisconsin,Gorske claims the Big Mac constitutes 90–95% of his total solid food intake. He is featured in the documentariesSuper Size Me(2004) andDon Gorske: Mac Daddy(2005), and is the author of22,477 Big Macs(2008).

Diet

Gorske claims that after getting his first car, the first place he went to was theMcDonald'son Military Road in his hometown of Fond du Lac on May 17, 1972.He purchased and ate three Big Macs at lunchtime. He returned two more times to consume nine Big Macs the same day he discovered the burger. He further claims to have eaten 265 Big Macs the following month, an average of 8.5 Big Macs daily. If true, this would equal over 4,600 calories and 247 grams of fat daily, for 143,100 calories and 16.9 pounds (7.7 kg) of fat in one month. He also claims to drink almost nothing butCoca-Colaand, according toSuper Size Me,he rarely eats thefries.At first, Don kept all the boxes of Big Macs he ate in the back of his car. In addition, he has a statue of Ronald McDonald in his yard. Gorske had a singleBurger KingWhoppersandwich in 1984 and never ate one again. Gorske tried the Whopper after his friend bet him $5 to do so, later spending the winnings on Big Macs.

In 2003, Gorske ate 741 Big Macs, an average of 2.03 Big Macs daily. Gorske is 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 pounds (84 kg), and claims acholesterollevel of 140. Daily consumption of two Big Macs amounts to 1,080 calories, according toMcDonald'spublished nutritional information,compared to the USDA recommendation of 2,200 calories per day.Gorske consumes mainly calorie-rich food, but he maintains a stable weight by consuming fewer calories daily than the average American. He says histaste budshave always fluctuated in sensitivity, so he often eats a Big Mac without being able to taste it.

Gorske commented in 2008 that hisobsessive–compulsive disorderis what fuels his love of Big Macs, noting he also records when and where he eats his Big Macs in a notebook he always carries and that he has kept every burger receipt in a box full.

On May 17, 2011, Gorske ate his 25,000th Big Mac at his favorite McDonald's restaurant in Fond du Lac.On his birthdays, he puts candles in a Big Mac like a cake, and when Christmas time comes around, he treats himself to more Big Macs while his family has more traditional Christmas food. He claims that since he ate his first Big Mac, there have only been eight days on which he did not eat a single Big Mac. One of these days was when his mother died, and he did not eat a Big Mac to respect her request.Other days included a "snow day"when McDonald's was unable to open due to snow, a Thanksgiving, days he was traveling and could not find a McDonald's, 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.

Gorske ate his 30,000th Big Mac on May 4, 2018.On May 17, 2022, Gorske celebrated 50 years of eating Big Macs nearly every day since May 1972.

By March 2024, Gorske had surpassed eating 34,000 Big Macs.

Gorske claims to skip breakfast, and the only other food he eats is a small evening snack such as ice cream, a fruit bar, or potato chips. Gorske also does not order anyside disheswith his Big Macs and takes half dozen mile walks daily.His favorite food other than Big Macs used to be lobster, but in 2024, Gorske, said the last time he ate it was "over 28 years ago."

Personal life and health

Gorske was born inGreen Bay, Wisconsin.Gorske met his wife, Mary, in September 1973, and he proposed to her in the parking lot of a McDonald's three years later. Gorske ate a Big Mac before the start of their wedding ceremony.The couple had a son, Gideon.

He was acorrectional officeratWaupun Correctional Institutionfor 25 years, retiring in May 2011.Just before retirement, at his first doctor visit since 1985, hischolesterollevel was 156 mg/dl, below the average of 208 mg/dl.

Appearances

He appeared in the documentarySuper Size Me.In the DVD extras for the film, it is revealed he works as a correctional officer. He also makes acameo appearancein cartoon form in the film.

In 2006, Gorske appeared as a contestant on thegame showI've Got a Secret.Celebrity panelistBilly Beanguessed the Big Mac as Gorske's food of choice.

On May 25, 2009, Gorske was featured onThe Rachael Ray Show.

To celebrate eating his 25,000th Big Mac, he appeared onThe Kyle & Jackie O Showon May 20, 2011, andLopez Tonighton May 23, 2011.

The Netflix seriesHistory 101featured Gorske to start its 2020 episode examining fast food.

External links

• Man gets Big Mac attack – 23,000 timesSeptember, 2008
• Big Mac eater downs 19,000th burgerMarch, 2003
• Man Eats His 18,000th Big Mac: Keeps Extra Supply In FreezerNovember, 2001
• Spotlight on Gorske July 18, 2004
• Wisconsin man eats 23,000 Big MacsSeptember 9, 2008
• Amazon: 22,477 Big MacsAugust, 2009
• Don GorskeatIMDb