Don Gorske
Encyclopedia
Donald A. Gorske of Fond du Lac
, Wisconsin
is an American
world record holder and "Big Mac
enthusiast". He is best known for having eaten over 25,000 Big Mac hamburgers from the U.S. fast food
chain McDonald's
in his lifetime, 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).
on May 17, 1972. 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 burger. 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. He met and proposed to his wife, Mary, at a McDonald's in 1973. Gorske also states that he has only eaten one Burger King
Whopper sandwich in his life, and will never eat one again. Gorske claimed that he first tried a Whopper after his friend bet him $5 to do so, and that he then spent the money on Big Macs.
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
; this does not take into account his energy intake from fluids. The USDA recommends about 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 his taste buds have always fluctuated in sensitivity, so he often eats a Big Mac without being able to taste it.
On August 17, 2008, Gorske ate his 23,000th Big Mac at his favorite McDonald's restaurant in Fond du Lac. 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. 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. Don Gorske also records when and where he eats his Big Macs in a notebook that he always carries. Gorske has kept every burger receipt in a box.
Gorske claims to have eaten 25,000 Big Macs as of May 17, 2011. He also maintains that he has no (known) health issues and has not had reason to visit a doctor. At his doctor visit on April 26, 2011, his first since 1985, his cholesterol
level was 156 mg/dL, which is below the average of 208 mg/dL.
, 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 appearance
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 The Rachael Ray Show.
To congratulate Gorske on eating his 25,000th Big Mac, he appeared on The Kyle & Jackie O Show
on May 20th, 2011 and Lopez Tonight
on May 23rd, 2011.
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
world record holder and "Big Mac
Big Mac
The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by McDonald's, an international fast food restaurant chain. It is one of the company's signature products...
enthusiast". He is best known for having eaten over 25,000 Big Mac hamburgers from the U.S. fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chain McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
in his lifetime, 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
Super Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
(2004) and Don Gorske: Mac Daddy (2005). He is the author of 22,477 Big Macs (2008).
Overview
Gorske claims that after getting his first car, the first place he went to was a McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
on May 17, 1972. 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 burger. 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
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
and, according to Super Size Me
Super Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
, he rarely eats the fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
. At first, Don kept all the boxes of Big Macs he ate in the back of his car. He met and proposed to his wife, Mary, at a McDonald's in 1973. Gorske also states that he has only eaten one Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
Whopper sandwich in his life, and will never eat one again. Gorske claimed that he first tried a Whopper after his friend bet him $5 to do so, and that he then spent the money on Big Macs.
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
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
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
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
; this does not take into account his energy intake from fluids. The USDA recommends about 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 his taste buds have always fluctuated in sensitivity, so he often eats a Big Mac without being able to taste it.
On August 17, 2008, Gorske ate his 23,000th Big Mac at his favorite McDonald's restaurant in Fond du Lac. 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. 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. Don Gorske also records when and where he eats his Big Macs in a notebook that he always carries. Gorske has kept every burger receipt in a box.
Gorske claims to have eaten 25,000 Big Macs as of May 17, 2011. He also maintains that he has no (known) health issues and has not had reason to visit a doctor. At his doctor visit on April 26, 2011, his first since 1985, his cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a complex isoprenoid. Specifically, it is a waxy steroid of fat that is produced in the liver or intestines. It is used to produce hormones and cell membranes and is transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes...
level was 156 mg/dL, which is below the average of 208 mg/dL.
Appearances
Appearing in the documentary Super Size MeSuper Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
, Gorske claims in 1984 he was once paid $5 to eat a Whopper
Whopper
The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
. 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 appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in cartoon form in the film.
In 2006, Gorske appeared as a contestant on the game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
. Celebrity panelist Billy Bean
Billy Bean
William Daro "Billy" Bean is a former Major League Baseball player who made news in 1999 when he made his homosexuality public.-Career:...
was able to guess the Big Mac as Gorske's food of choice.
On May 25, 2009, Gorske was featured on the The Rachael Ray Show.
To congratulate Gorske on eating his 25,000th Big Mac, he appeared on The Kyle & Jackie O Show
The Kyle & Jackie O Show
The Kyle & Jackie O Show is Australia’s most listened-to breakfast radio show hosted by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O on 2DayFM, Sydney. Syndicated to over 78 stations nationwide, the show has been airing since 16 January 2005. The show is a 9-time winner and 36-time finalist of the Australian...
on May 20th, 2011 and Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
on May 23rd, 2011.
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