| Born | Donald A. Gorske November 28, 1953 (age 67) |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Correctional officer |
| Known for | Record holder of having eaten the most Big Macs |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Gorske (m. 1973–present) |
In March 2020, Facebook posts circulating online offered free coupons supposedly good for two free Big Mac Meals for a month from outlets of the McDonald’s fast food chain: Users who clicked on. May 11, 2017 Postmates is making it easy for you to indulge a little for National Eat What You Want Day by offering to deliver a free Big Mac to up to 20,000 Tampa Bay residents on Thursday, May 11.
Donald A. Gorske (born November 28, 1953) is an American world record holder known as the 'Big Mac enthusiast'. He is best known for having eaten 30,000[1] Big Mac hamburgers from the U.S. fast foodchainMcDonald's in his lifetime, winning him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. He claims the Big Mac constitutes 90-95% of his total solid food intake. A resident of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, he is featured in the documentaries Super Size Me (2004) and Don Gorske: Mac Daddy (2005), and is the author of 22,477 Big Macs (2008).
Overview[edit]
Gorske claims that after getting his first car, the first place he went to was the McDonald's on Military Road in his hometown of Fond du Lac on May 17, 1972.[2][3] 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 low quality 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 1975. In addition, he has a statue of Ronald McDonald in his yard. Gorske also states that he has only eaten one Burger KingWhopper sandwich in his life in 1984 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 (1.88m), 185 pounds (83 kg), 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;[4] this does not take into account his energy intake from fluids. The USDA recommends about 2,200 calories per day.[5] 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.[6]
On May 17, 2011, Gorske ate his 25,000th Big Mac at his favorite McDonald's restaurant in Fond du Lac.[7] 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 separate 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.[2] 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. [8] Gorske commented in 2008 that his obsessive–compulsive disorder is what fuels his love of Big Macs, noting he also records when and where he eats his Big Macs in a notebook that he always carries, and that he has kept every burger receipt in a box.[2]
On May 4, 2018, Gorske ate his 30,000th Big Mac.[9] He 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.[10]
Gorske worked as a correctional officer at Waupun Correctional Institution for 25 years. He retired in May 2011.[citation needed]
Appearances[edit]
He appeared in the documentary Super Size Me. In the DVD extras for the film, it is revealed he works as a correctional officer. He also makes a cameo appearance in cartoon form in the film.
In 2006, Gorske appeared as a contestant on the game showI'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.
To congratulate Gorske on eating his 25,000th Big Mac, he appeared on The Kyle & Jackie O Show on May 20, 2011 and Lopez Tonight on May 23, 2011.[11]
The Netflix series History 101 featured Gorske to start its episode 01 on Fast Food released in 2020.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Fond du Lac's Don Gorske eats milestone 30,000th Big Mac'. Fond du Lac Reporter. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ abc'Man says he's eaten 23,000 Big Macs since 1972'. Associated Press. 2008-09-09. Archived from the original on September 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^Roznik, Sharon (2016-12-08). 'Don Gorske gobbles 29,000th Big Mac'. Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
- ^McDonald's USA Nutrition Information
- ^FoodReview, Winter 2002, Volume 25, Issue 3Archived 2007-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Plummer, Russell (16 May 2011). 'Fond du Lac man prepares to eat 25,000th Big Mac'. Gannett Wisconsin Media. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
- ^'Man eats 25,000th Big Mac, 39 years after his 1st'. USA Today. May 21, 2011.
- ^'A BIG, Big Mac habit'. CNN. 1997-05-20. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^Roznik, Sharon (2018-05-04). 'Fond du Lac's Don Gorske eats milestone 30,000th Big Mac'. Action Reporter Media (USA TODAY NETWORK). Wisconsin. Retrieved 2018-08-15.
- ^'Fond du Lac's Big Mac man expected to hit 25,000 milestone today. Gorske credits Tim Kurpis, of UK fame, for his inspiration. Gorske credits crossfit for his dad bod'. FDL Reporter. 2011-05-17. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
- ^Gorske, Don (2011-05-20). 'The Kyle & Jackie O Show'. Today Network (Interview). Interviewed by Kyle & Jackie O. Sydney, Australia: 2DayFM.
External links[edit]
- Don Gorske at IMDb
In March 2020, Facebook posts circulating online offered free coupons supposedly good for two free Big Mac Meals for a month from outlets of the McDonald’s fast food chain:
Users who clicked on the offer were taken to an external website where they were instructed to answer survey questions in order to receive their coupons:
After completing the questionnaire, however, users were then required to click a button to share the “offer” with their Facebook friends before they could retrieve their coupons. Those who complied by spamming their friends were then allowed to click a “Receive the Coupon” button, but there was no actual coupon to receive.
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Like innumerable other “free merchandise” offers on Facebook (including previous examples targeting McDonald’s customers), this offer was a common form of scam.
We’ve had many occasions to alert readers to this kind of fraud:
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These types of viral “coupon” scams often involve websites and social media pages set up to mimic those of legitimate companies. Users who respond to those fake offers are required to share a website link or social media post in order to spread the scam more widely and lure in additional victims. Then those users are presented with a “survey” that extracts personal information such as email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and even sometimes credit card numbers. Finally, those who want to claim their “free” gift cards or coupons eventually learn they must first sign up to purchase a number of costly goods, services, or subscriptions.
The Better Business Bureau offers consumers several general tips to avoid getting scammed:
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- Don’t believe what you see. It’s easy to steal the colors, logos, and header of any other established organization. Scammers can also make links look like they lead to legitimate websites and emails appear to come from a different sender.
- Legitimate businesses do not ask for credit card numbers or banking information for coupons or giveaways. If they do ask for personal information, like an address or email, be sure there’s a link to their privacy policy.
- When in doubt, do a quick web search. If the giveaway is a scam, this is likely to reveal an alert or bring you to the organization’s real website, where they may have posted further information.
- Watch out for a reward that’s too good to be true. Businesses typically give out small discounts to entice customers. If the offer seems too good to be true (a $100 voucher or 50% discount) it may be a scam.
- Look for a mismatched subject line and email body. Many of these scams have an email subject line promising one thing, but the content of the email is something completely different.