“I will admit, I have a problem.”
360 calories and two dollars and fourteen cents later, teacher Gerard Rohl’s morning McDonald’s cravings are satisfied. With a routine of going through the McDonald’s drive through, the cute, little old lady employees expected to see Rohl that morning.
“The old retired ladies pretty much already know that I’m going to order my Breakfast Burrito and Diet Coke,” said Rohl. “The Egg McMuffin doesn’t really have a taste for me like the burrito does. I love the hot sauce on it, it’s good for you, you know!”
Rohl realized he had a McDonald’s addiction about 20 years ago. It started when his kid’s were busy with sports and his family was constantly on the go.
“When my kids started traveling basketball and softball teams, we were on the road every weekend and always looking for cheap and quick meals. We would always stop at McDonald’s because it was convenient,” said Rohl. “It then turned into me going there more often by myself.”
Leaving school during his lunch to get his McDonald’s fill a few times a week keeps Rohl functioning for his students. When something goes wrong with his order at McDonald’s, he can’t help but feel lost and upset.
“The other night, I went to McDonald’s to get some dinner and a large Diet Coke,” said Rohl. “But when I go through the drive through, the Diet Coke machine was broken, which made me very upset. I even went inside to see if the lobby machine worked, and guess what, it didn’t.”
Rohl doesn’t believe his McDonald’s addiction is hurting him, but knows it’s not benefitting him either. Now that McDonald’s shows the calorie amount in each meal, he has been making healthier choices and is still satisfying his McDonald’s needs.
Story By Bailey Hanson & Maddi Herzfeld
Photos By Maddi Herzfeld
