This is very true
@Bluetit1802 . It's unfortunate, because it unnecessarily attaches a 'label' to everyone. Of course, it doesn't help that many people, having been diagnosed with diabetes, are told to eat lots and lots of carbohydrate! What is really worrying is the extent to which this belief exists in the medical profession - I too had my eye screening over the summer, and found myself in a very similar situation to you, maybe about 30 people, exactly as you describe, many with obvious complications (blindness, missing feet, the lot). When I was called for the pre-check, the nurse was extremely confused and asked if I was in the right place, then asked me if I was diabetic, and was extremely confused by the concept of a type 1, so goodness only knows what she would have said had she been presented with a Type 2 who looks after themselves.
I think part of the problem, as well, is that it is used as a 'scare tactic' in schools - when I did my GCSEs, the textbooks said 'diabetes is caused by overreating and not exercising enough', it's always mentioned as being a risk, which is great if it motivates people to improve their lifestyles, but it also gives people who don't have a full understanding of what either type really is an easy way to blame us for having diabetes and using up their NHS resources.