At the age of 70, Don Gorske has consumed over 34,000 Big Mac hamburgers from McDonald’s in his lifetime, making him one of the longest-holding Guinness World Records titleholders globally.
According to a report by The Guardian, Gorske, a former prison guard living in Wisconsin, USA, has maintained a daily habit of eating Big Mac hamburgers since he had his first burger on May 17, 1972.
“At that moment, I said that I would probably eat this for the rest of my life… I threw the box into the back seat of my car and started counting how many burgers I had eaten since day one,” the newspaper quoted the man.
The facts show that Gorske was not just talking. He has kept the receipts for every Big Mac he has eaten daily since that first time, as well as all the boxes.
Don Gorske has eaten over 34,000 Big Mac hamburgers in his life. (Photo: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS).
He stated that his mother became increasingly worried as his passion for Big Macs grew and tried to restrain him by making him promise not to eat a Big Mac for one meal a day. However, she gave up enforcing that promise in 1981. According to Gorske, she said: “If those burgers haven’t killed you by now, just keep eating.”
At one point, Gorske would drive to McDonald’s every day, buying up to 9 Big Macs and savoring each one. The closest restaurant to his home has his portrait hanging on the wall, and he mentioned that he even proposed to his wife in the parking lot of that very location.
This passion led to Guinness recognizing him with a world record in 1999 for the most Big Macs consumed in a lifetime. He surpassed the milestone of 25,000 burgers in 2011. “I plan to eat Big Macs until I die. I have no intention of changing. It’s still my favorite food,” he told The Guardian at that time.
In 2023, he ate 728 Big Macs—an average of nearly 2 per day—bringing his total McDonald’s hamburgers consumed in his lifetime to 34,128.
Currently, Gorske visits McDonald’s twice a week, ordering several Big Macs but only eating one on-site. He takes the rest home, using the microwave to reheat them whenever he’s hungry.
“Many people think I should be dead by now. But instead, I am… one of the longest-standing record holders of the Guinness World Records, so that’s pretty amazing for me,” Gorske said in an interview released on February 29.
Gorske has tried to maintain his health as best as he can by skipping breakfast, avoiding fries or any sides with his Big Macs, and walking nearly 10 kilometers every day.
Health experts warn that regularly consuming fast food, including McDonald’s hamburgers, can contribute to weight gain, leading to obesity, heart disease, and other health issues due to the high calorie, sodium, sugar, and fat content of these meals.
