This is a super clear instance of epigenetic influence on DNA. We are the grandchildren and great grandchildren of people who lived through this time.

One of the studies I read, about this generation, is that the DNA changes caused by epigenetic pressure caused many of their children to be prone to obesity.
Almost as if the genes were prepared for hardship and famine.
The children's bodies stored more fat than their parents, and the grandchildren were often not affected as long as the hardship and famine were not felt by their parents generation.

We have so much to understand about how the lives of our ancestors affect our lives, today.