That is a very well written and interesting story.
Reading it reminds me of various stories I heard, first hand from POWs - (Prisoners of War - in German prison camps during WW II.)
How everyone was fairly healthy after a year or more, of being hungry. Since everyone was equally hungry, and exposed to a very limited and meager diet, many of the pre war diseases and physical disorders, disappeared. (Of course they had other problems.)
Not to trout a cliche around since plenty of HN has heard of this already, but David Sinclair’s book Lifespan talks about caloric reduction. Nothing crazy, skipping a meal here and there.