Big Mac obsession: Man says he's eaten 23,000 since 1972
Last Updated: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 | 4:33 PM ET
The Associated Press
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A 54-year-old man from Fond du Lac, Wis., says his obsessive-compulsive disorder drove him to eat 23,000 Big Macs in 36 years.
Don Gorske says he hit the milestone last month, continuing an obsession that began on May 17, 1972, when he got his first car.
Gorske has kept every burger receipt in a box.
He said he was always fascinated with numbers, and watching McDonald's track its number of customers motivated him to track his own consumption.
The only day he skipped a Big Mac was the day his mother died, to respect her request.
The correctional-institution employee says he doesn't care when people call his Big Mac obsession crazy. He says he's in love with the burgers, which are the highlights of his days.
There's no word on the condition of his heart.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder characterized by compulsive rituals such as handwashing, counting or checking, the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health said.
It is estimated that one in 10 people suffer from an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
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